National Governors Association Cancels White House Meeting After Trump Excludes Democratic Leaders

The bipartisan event was called off after only Republican governors were invited to the White House.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The National Governors Association has decided to cancel its annual White House meeting after President Donald Trump invited only Republican governors, departing from the event's usual bipartisan tradition. The decision followed reports that Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), the nation's sole Black governor and NGA vice chair, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) were excluded from the invitation list. In response, 18 Democratic governors said they would boycott the White House dinner set for the Feb. 19-21 NGA meeting.

Why it matters

The National Governors Association meeting is an important annual event that brings together state leaders from both parties to interact with the president and discuss key issues. By excluding Democratic governors, Trump has broken with the bipartisan tradition of the event and risked further political divisions between the parties at the state level.

The details

The NGA, the collective voice of the nation's governors, typically organizes a bipartisan meeting for state leaders to interact with each other and the president. However, this year's event was canceled after reports surfaced that only Republican governors were invited to the White House dinner. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker previously voiced his disapproval, stating that he would not attend the White House dinner with the President and calling on his Republican colleagues to do the same.

  • The NGA meeting was scheduled for February 19-21, 2026.
  • On Monday, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) announced that the NGA would no longer facilitate the event.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States who excluded Democratic governors from the annual White House meeting.

Wes Moore

The Democratic governor of Maryland and vice chair of the National Governors Association.

Jared Polis

The Democratic governor of Colorado.

J.B. Pritzker

The Democratic governor of Illinois who voiced his disapproval of the president's actions and called on Republican colleagues to boycott the White House dinner.

Karoline Leavitt

The White House press secretary who defended the president's approach, stating that "it's also the president's home, and he can invite whomever he wants to dinners and events here at the White House."

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

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

— Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary (Benzinga)

“I will not attend the White House dinner with the President and I call on my Republican colleagues to do the same.”

— J.B. Pritzker, Governor of Illinois (Benzinga)

What’s next

The National Governors Association has not announced any plans for a rescheduled bipartisan meeting with the president.

The takeaway

The cancellation of the annual White House meeting of the National Governors Association highlights the growing political divisions between the parties, even at the state level. It raises concerns about the ability of state leaders to work together on important issues and the potential for further polarization in the country.