Democratic Governors Boycott White House Dinner Over Exclusion of Members

A group of Democratic governors is standing in solidarity with Colorado’s Jared Polis and Maryland’s Wes Moore, who were not invited to a traditionally bipartisan White House dinner. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is among those opting out of the National Governors Association’s winter gathering at the White House, scheduled for February 19–21.

“I will not attend the White House dinner with this President,” declared Governor Pritzker on Tuesday, expressing his support for Governors Moore and Polis, and his opposition to what he describes as President Trump’s “corruption and hatred.” He also urged his Republican peers to join the boycott.

The Democratic Governors Association, chaired by Kentucky’s Governor Andy Beshear with Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer as vice chair, is leading the boycott. Other participating governors include California’s Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, and Minnesota’s Tim Walz. A collective of 18 governors issued a statement condemning President Trump for fostering “chaos and division” by excluding certain state leaders from the event.

An anonymous White House source noted that, while several Democrats were invited to the dinner, others were deliberately left out. This decision follows a public disagreement between President Trump and Maine’s Democratic Governor Janet Mills over transgender sports participation that took place during a bipartisan “Governors Working Session” last February.

“It’s the people’s house; it’s also the president’s home, and he can invite whomever he wants,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, defending President Trump’s invitations. She noted that Governor Moore was invited last year but declined the invitation.

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Governor Moore suggested race may have been a factor in his exclusion, as he is currently the only Black governor in the nation. He pointed out that his fellow Democratic governors have expressed interest in his leadership at the organization’s events, highlighting his previous delegation visit to the White House.

In response to the situation, National Governors Association CEO Brandon Tatum expressed his disappointment with the administration’s actions. Republican Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, the NGA chairman, informed fellow governors that the association is no longer facilitating the upcoming event, identifying its mission to represent governors from all states and territories.