Democratic Governors Boycott White House Dinner Over Invitation Controversy

Numerous Democratic governors are showing solidarity with Governors Jared Polis from Colorado and Wes Moore from Maryland after they were left out of invitations for a traditionally bipartisan White House dinner. Among those expressing their support is Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who announced he would boycott the National Governors Association’s annual winter gathering events held at the White House from February 19-21.

“I have no intention of attending the White House dinner hosted by this President,” declared Governor Pritzker. “I am standing in solidarity with Governors Wes Moore and Jared Polis, and I encourage my Republican counterparts to join in opposing Trump’s corruption and divisive hatred.”

This boycott is being led by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, alongside Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who serves as vice-chair. Other Democratic governors participating in the boycott include California’s Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, and Minnesota’s Tim Walz. In a collective statement, 18 governors criticized President Donald Trump for generating “chaos and division” by excluding certain state leaders from the event.

“Many Democrats were invited to dinner at the White House,” a White House official reportedly told Politico, “while others were not.”

Traditionally, both Republicans and Democrats have been invited to these events, however, the White House appears to have deviated from this approach. This comes in the wake of a public confrontation involving President Trump and Maine’s Democratic Governor Janet Mills regarding transgender sports participation, during a bipartisan “Governors Working Session” held the previous year.

Reporters seeking additional comments were referred to the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. During a briefing, Leavitt emphasized, “It is the president’s prerogative to extend invitations as he sees fit. The White House is not just the people’s house; it is also the President’s home.” She further mentioned that while Governor Moore was invited in the past, he did not attend, and hypothesized that not accepting the invitation would be “their loss.”

During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Governor Moore suggested racial motivations might be behind his exclusion, noting, “it is not lost on me as the only Black governor in the nation,” that his fellow Democratic governors envisaged his leadership in the association.

Brandon Tatum, CEO of the National Governors Association, expressed his disappointment in the administration’s actions. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, acting as the NGA’s chairman, issued a notification underscoring that the association will no longer be facilitating upcoming events as it represents governors from all states and U.S. territories.