Trump to Welcome Governors from Both Parties to White House

National Governors Association says all 55 states and territories will be invited after initial GOP-only plans sparked backlash.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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The National Governors Association announced that President Donald Trump will welcome governors from both the Democratic and Republican parties to the White House later this month, after initially planning to only invite Republican governors to a business meeting. The decision follows outcry from dozens of Democratic governors who threatened to boycott a White House dinner if they were not fully included.

Why it matters

The annual gathering of the nation's governors at the White House has historically been a rare bipartisan event, and the initial GOP-only invitation threatened to upend that tradition and further divide the political parties. The reversal to include all governors is seen as an effort to maintain the meeting's collaborative spirit.

The details

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who chairs the National Governors Association, told fellow governors that everyone would be invited to the White House meeting after conversations with the administration. The initial plan to only invite Republican governors sparked an outcry, with dozens of Democratic governors threatening to boycott a White House dinner if they were not fully included in the business meeting.

  • The National Governors Association's annual gathering is scheduled for later this month in Washington, D.C.

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States.

Kevin Stitt

The Republican governor of Oklahoma and chair of the National Governors Association.

Karoline Leavitt

The White House press secretary.

National Governors Association

A bipartisan organization representing the nation's 55 state and territorial governors.

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What they’re saying

“It's the people's house. It's also the president's home, so he can invite whomever he wants to dinners and events here at the White House.”

— Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary

What’s next

The White House has not yet confirmed the final guest list for the upcoming meeting with the nation's governors.

The takeaway

The decision to invite all 55 state and territorial governors to the White House, regardless of party affiliation, is seen as an effort to maintain the traditional bipartisan spirit of the annual gathering and avoid further political divisions.