President Trump attacked Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, head of the National Governors Association, over disputed invitations to the annual White House meeting. Initially, Democrats were reportedly excluded from a key business meeting, causing an uproar. While Stitt later announced all governors were invited after speaking with Trump, Trump publicly contradicted him, stating he excluded two Democratic governors he deemed 'unworthy' and called Stitt's initial communication 'false.'
President Donald Trump launched a public attack on Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, the Republican leader of the National Governors Association (NGA), labeling him a 'RINO' (Republican in Name Only). The controversy revolved around the guest list for the NGA's annual White House dinner and business meeting. Stitt had initially informed governors that the White House intended to limit invitations to the business meeting to Republicans, sparking outrage from Democrats who threatened to boycott the entire event. Following a phone call with Trump, Stitt announced that all 55 states and territories would be invited to the NGA Business Breakfast, stating Trump claimed this was always his intention and attributed the issue to a 'misunderstanding in scheduling.' However, Trump quickly contradicted Stitt's account via social media, calling Stitt's initial letter 'false.' Trump asserted that invitations were sent to 'ALL Governors, other than two,' specifically naming Democratic Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland and Jared Polis of Colorado, whom he deemed 'not worthy of being there.' He also adopted a combative tone, predicting that 'most' invited Democrats 'won’t show up.' Brandon Tatum, the NGA’s chief executive, supported the NGA's original timeline, confirming that as of Tuesday evening, only Republican governors had received White House invites for the business meeting. The ongoing confusion and Trump's confrontational stance have led many Democrats, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, to state they do not plan to attend, while others, such as Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, signaled participation. This incident highlights the difficulties faced by bipartisan organizations under the Trump administration, echoing a contentious meeting last year where Trump clashed with Maine Gov. Janet Mills, which led some Democratic governors to not renew their NGA dues.
