Democrats to Boycott Bipartisan White House Dinner After Trump Snubbed Two Governors

Democratic governors are refusing to attend this year’s National Governors Association dinner at the White House after President Donald Trump altered the guest list without explanation.

Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland and Jared Polis of Colorado had claimed that the White House had uninvited them to the bipartisan dinner, seemingly without explanation.

“If the reports are true that not all governors are invited to these events, which have historically been productive and bipartisan opportunities for collaboration, we will not be attending the White House dinner this year,” read a Tuesday statement signed by the coalition of Democratic governors.

The White Hold told NOTUS on Monday that the historically bipartisan affair would be split into two events: one for only Republicans, and another bipartisan dinner, minus a few Democrats who Trump chose to disinvite.

“Democratic governors have a long record of working across the aisle to deliver results and we remain committed to this effort. But it’s disappointing this administration doesn’t seem to share the same goal,” the Democratic Governors Association wrote. “At every turn, President Trump is creating chaos and division, and it is the American people who are hurting as a result.”

Following the Democrats’ decision to boycott the annual dinner, the National Governors Association said that it would no longer be involved in the upcoming policy-making event.

“Because NGA’s mission is to represent all 55 governors, the Association is no longer serving as the facilitator for that event, and it is no longer included in our official program,” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who chairs the NGA, wrote a letter obtained by The Associated Press.

Asked during Tuesday’s press briefing why Trump had chosen to exclude Moore and Polis, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she “just spoke with the president about this” and repeated the administration’s stance that Trump has full control over the guest list for White House events.

“The President 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.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who signed the Tuesday DGA statement, was quick to announce he would not be attending the event if it wasn’t open to all of his Democratic colleagues.

“They didn’t invite any Democratic governor to the business section, and this is when we try to get together and move the country forward where we can agree,” Beshear said on “The View” Monday. “If he’s not going to invite us to the business section, I’m not going to go to dinner, the social section.”