WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� An of the nation鈥檚 governors that has long served as a rare bipartisan gathering is unraveling after President excluded Democratic governors from White House events.
The National Governors Association said it will no longer hold a formal meeting with Trump when governors are scheduled to convene in Washington later this month, after the White House planned to invite only Republican governors. On Tuesday, 18 Democratic governors also announced they would boycott a traditional dinner at the White House.
鈥淚f the reports are true that not all governors are invited to these events, which have historically been productive and bipartisan opportunities for collaboration, we will not be attending the White House dinner this year,鈥� the Democrats wrote. 鈥淒emocratic governors remain united and will never stop fighting to protect and make life better for people in our states.鈥�
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who chairs the NGA, told fellow governors in a letter on Monday that the White House intended to limit invitations to the association鈥檚 annual business meeting, scheduled for Feb. 20, to Republican governors only.
鈥淏ecause NGA鈥檚 mission is to represent all 55 governors, the Association is no longer serving as the facilitator for that event, and it is no longer included in our official program,鈥� Stitt wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press.
The governors鈥� group, which is scheduled to meet from Feb. 19-21, is one of the few remaining venues where political leaders from both major parties gather to discuss the top issues facing their communities. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that Trump has 鈥渄iscretion to invite anyone he wants to the White House.鈥�
鈥淚t’s the people’s house,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t’s also the president’s home, so he can invite whomever he wants to dinners and events here at the White House.鈥�
Representatives for Sitt and the NGA didn’t comment on the letter. Brandon Tatum, the NGA’s CEO, said in a statement last week that the White House meeting is an 鈥渋mportant tradition鈥� and said the organization was 鈥渄isappointed in the administration’s decision to make it a partisan occasion this year.鈥�
In his letter to other governors, Stitt encouraged the group to unite around common goals.
鈥淲e cannot allow one divisive action to achieve its goal of dividing us,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淭he solution is not to respond in kind, but to rise above and to remain focused on our shared duty to the people we serve. America鈥檚 governors have always been models of pragmatic leadership, and that example is most important when Washington grows distracted by politics.鈥�
Signs of partisan tensions emerged at the White House meeting last year, when Trump and Maine’s Gov. traded barbs.
Trump singled out the Democratic governor over his push to bar transgender athletes from competing in girls鈥� and women鈥檚 sports, threatening to withhold federal funding from the state if she did not comply. Mills responded, 鈥淲e鈥檒l see you in court.鈥�
Trump then predicted that Mills鈥� political career would be over for opposing the order. She is now running for U.S. Senate.
The back-and-forth had a lasting impact on last year鈥檚 conference and some Democratic governors did not renew their dues last year to the bipartisan group.
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Peoples reported from New York.
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