Trump Dinner Gets The Cold Shoulder As Democratic Governors OPT Out

Donald Trump, across his two presidencies, has never had a great relationship with Democratic governors. But it’s gotten especially bad in his second term, and not only because some of them are likely to run to succeed him in 2028.

According to The Daily Beast, a group of Democratic governors plans to “plans to boycott a dinner with President Donald Trump after he declined to invite all of them to the White House event.”

The National Governors Association (NGA) announced that it will not hold a planned formal meeting, following Trump’s decision not to invite some Democratic governors, including Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland and Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado, to a meeting on February 20.

President Trump is hosting an annual meeting with governors at the White House later this month — but he will not invite any Democrats, only Republicans, breaking a long-standing tradition.

Read more: https://t.co/VuNpV4b1zP pic.twitter.com/NPQ7aIvSLh

— ABC News (@ABC) February 9, 2026

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“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,” the governors said in a statement. “At every turn, President Trump is creating chaos and division, and it is the American people who are hurting as a result.”

Roses are red,
Our states are blue,
We’ve got some special
Valentines for you! 💌 pic.twitter.com/53u6QsAv8c

— Democratic Governors (@DemGovs) February 9, 2026

The chairman of the association is Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, while the vice chair is Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also agreed to skip the dinner.

“It is a dinner at the White House. It’s the people’s house. It’s also the president’s home, and so he can invite whomever he wants to dinner and events here at the White House,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said from the White House podium on Tuesday.

Polis is likely being excluded over his refusal to honor a pardon Trump issued for Tina Peters, a Colorado elections worker convicted of crimes related to voting machines in the 2020 election. Peters was convicted on state charges, which are not subject to the federal pardon power, but Trump has been retaliating against Colorado for that reason.

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