Trump agrees to meet at White House with all governors, including Democrats
- 17 hours ago
- 2 min read
Which Democratic governors were excluded from the White House dinner?
How has the dinner boycott affected the White House's image?
What did the National Governors Association state about the meeting?
What symptoms indicate rectal cancer?
WASHINGTON — All governors, regardless of their party affiliation, are invited to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House next week after the president previously sought to limit the annual gathering to only Republican governors.
The reversal came after Trump spoke by phone on Feb. 11 with Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, the chairman of the National Governors Association, which coordinates the historically bipartisan meeting.
What arguments did Governor Kevin Stitt use to persuade President Trump to invite all governors?
“We’re pleased the president will welcome governors from all 55 states and territories to the White House," Brandon Tatum, CEO of the NGA, said in a statement. "The bipartisan White House governors meeting is a valued tradition and an important opportunity to build bridges and hold constructive conversations. The NGA looks forward to continued collaboration between governors and the White House."
The nonpartisan NGA previously backed out of coordinating the meeting after Trump said he would limit the meeting to only Republican governors.
Yet it was not immediately clear whether Trump still plans to exclude two Democratic governors, Wes Moore of Maryland and Jared Polis of Colorado, from a White House dinner that is separate from the meeting. The two exclusions prompted 18 Democratic governors on Feb. 10 to announce plans to boycott the dinner.
What official reason did the White House give for excluding Governors Wes Moore and Jared Polis from the dinner?
The meeting and dinner are set to take place when the NGA meets in Washington, DC, from Feb. 19 to 21.
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The White House did not respond to a request from USA TODAY for comment.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Feb. 10 briefing with reporters that Trump "has the discretion to invite whomever he wants to the White House, and he welcomes all those who received an invitation to come."
"And if they don't want to, that's their loss," Leavitt said.
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