Democratic Governors Excluded from White House Events at National Governors Association Conference
President Trump has chosen to exclude Democratic governors from various events at the White House during the National Governors Association conference in Washington, D.C. Democratic governors were not invited to a formal business meeting with the president and White House officials, and at least two Democratic governors were specifically excluded from a dinner with governors and their spouses. This exclusion prompted a majority of Democratic governors to boycott the dinner altogether. As a result, the NGA CEO announced that the formal meeting between governors and the White House would no longer take place due to the absence of Democratic governors. The White House press secretary defended the president's discretion in issuing invitations and noted that Democratic governors had chosen not to attend previous events. Despite the boycott, some Democratic governors were not listed in the joint statement and it remains unclear if they will attend the planned White House dinner. The last formal governors' meeting in 2025 saw a clash between President Trump and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills of Maine over the issue of trans women in sports. The National Governors Association conference is scheduled to take place from Feb. 19 to Feb. 21 in Washington, D.C.