• Democratic governors boycott a White House dinner after President Trump excludes Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, accusing him of breaking bipartisan tradition.
  • The White House defends the selective invitations, while the National Governors Association withdraws as facilitator due to politicization, expressing disappointment.
  • The incident highlights strained federal-state relations, with Democratic governors framing the boycott as unity to protect their states, and experts predicting ongoing division without inclusivity.

Democratic governors are boycotting a White House dinner during the National Governors Association (NGA) annual meeting from February 19 to 21, 2026, after President Trump excluded Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore from the guest list. In a statement, 18 Democratic governors accused Trump of breaking a long-standing bipartisan tradition and creating division, according to sources familiar with the matter. The White House, via press secretary Karoline Leavitt, defended the move, stating that Trump can invite whomever he wants to events at "the people's house" and "the president's home," welcoming attendees while dismissing non-attendees' loss.

NGA chair Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, confirmed that the White House limited a related meeting to Republicans only, leading the NGA to withdraw as facilitator since it represents all 55 governors. Interim CEO Brandon Tatum expressed disappointment over politicizing the tradition, noting that this marks a break from the NGA's historical bipartisan practices, including annual White House meetings. Efforts to restore inclusivity have hit a snag, with Tatum predicting ongoing "chaos and division" without a resolution.

Political context centers on strained federal-state relations under Trump, following incidents like Democratic governors threatening NGA withdrawal over Trump's unrequested National Guard deployments to their states. Moore, the nation's only Black governor and NGA vice chair, called the exclusion a "blatant disrespect" with added racial weight, noting his prior delegation to the White House. A White House official claimed "many Democrats were invited" to the dinner, though not all, according to people briefed on the situation.

Societal impact highlights partisan divides affecting stakeholders, with Democratic governors framing the boycott as unity to "protect and make life better for people in our states," while Polis' office emphasized delivering results over "games." Public reactions include GOP defenses of presidential discretion and Democratic calls for Republican colleagues to join the boycott, as tensions simmer ahead of the NGA gathering, which proceeds without the formal presidential event on its program.

Future outlook suggests short-term fallout like a partisan-only White House meeting and diminished NGA collaboration, with long-term risks to federal-state partnerships. Related developments include boycotts led by DGA chair Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and vice chair Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, with signatories like New York's Kathy Hochul, Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro, and Minnesota's Tim Walz. Attempts to reach out for comments from the White House and NGA officials were met with limited responses, underscoring the deepening rift.

Correction: An earlier version misstated the number of Democratic governors involved; it is 18, not all Democratic governors.