Trump excluded Govs. Polis and Moore from bipartisan White House governors' meeting and dinner over their criticism

On February 6, 2026, the National Governors Association told Democratic governors by email that President Trump had decided to limit that month's White House working meeting -- part of the NGA's annual winter gathering, then scheduled for later in February -- to Republican governors only, and had personally blocked Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, but no other Democratic governor, from the traditionally bipartisan black-tie dinner held alongside it. The NGA said it would not treat the restricted meeting as an official NGA event or provide transportation support for it.

The decision broke with a bipartisan tradition observed by presidents of both parties. Polis and Moore had both publicly criticized Trump -- Polis over his refusal to pardon convicted election denier Tina Peters on state charges and over a vetoed Colorado pipeline project, Moore over his criticism of the administration's National Guard deployments and immigration enforcement -- while other Democratic governors who have also clashed with Trump, including California's Gavin Newsom and Illinois' JB Pritzker, remained invited to the dinner. Neither Polis nor Moore was informed of the reason for their exclusion.

NGA's interim CEO Brandon Tatum called the exclusion a break from tradition that "undermines an important opportunity for federal-state collaboration." A spokesperson for Polis called it "a disappointing decision"; a spokesperson for Moore said the governor was "disappointed to be excluded" while remaining focused on his work for Maryland.

Updates

2026-02-09 — NGA declined to facilitate the White House meeting over the exclusion [3]

NGA chair Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-Okla.) told member governors the association would no longer serve as facilitator of the White House business meeting, writing that "we cannot allow one divisive action to achieve its goal of dividing us" and citing NGA's mission to represent all 55 governors. The Democratic Governors Association said its members would boycott the White House dinner in response, calling the move a show of unity.

2026-02-11 — Trump reopened the business meeting to all governors but held firm on excluding Polis and Moore from the dinner [3, 4]

Facing the NGA's withdrawal, Stitt told governors that Trump was inviting all 55 governors and territories to the business meeting, citing "a misunderstanding in scheduling." Trump disputed that characterization on Truth Social, calling Stitt a "RINO" who had "incorrectly stated my position," and said invitations to the dinner "were sent to ALL Governors, other than two, who I feel are not worthy of being there." The Democratic Governors Association reiterated it would not attend the dinner if Polis and Moore remained excluded from it.

2026-02-21 — No Democratic governors attended the White House dinner; Moore attended the reopened business meeting [5]

Gov. Moore attended the reopened Friday business meeting after Trump relented on that invitation, but no Democratic governor attended Saturday's black-tie dinner, which several had threatened to boycott if Polis and Moore remained excluded from it. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said "Trump has made this whole thing a farce." At the dinner, Trump did not criticize any Democrats by name but blamed Maryland and Virginia for a Potomac River sewage spill from a federally regulated utility.