Trump attacked this GOP governor while claiming that Democrats always participate in the annual meeting
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump attacked the Republican leader of the National Governors Association on Wednesday as tensions rose between the White House and the bipartisan group of state leaders ahead of its annual meeting next week.
In a social media post, Trump criticized Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, a Republican who heads the NGA, and called him a “RINO,” meaning Republican in name only. Trump said Stitt “incorrectly stated my position during the conservatives’ very exclusive annual dinner and meeting at the White House.”
The dispute centers on whether Trump will allow governors from both major parties to participate in the full range of White House events, which typically include a business meeting and a meal. In a letter to fellow governors on Monday, Stitt said the NGA had been informed that the White House intended to limit invitations to the business meeting to Republicans. That angered Democrats, who said they would not participate in the meal if they were not fully included in the business meeting.
By Wednesday, Stitt reached out to Trump by phone and emailed his fellow governors.
“I am writing to inform you that President Donald J. Trump is inviting all 55 state and territory governors to the NGA Business Breakfast on Friday, February 20 at 8:30 a.m. EST,” Stitt wrote. “He has been very clear in his communications with me that this is a National Governors Association event, and he looks forward to hosting you and hearing from governors across the country. President Donald Trump said this was always his intent, and we have addressed the scheduling misunderstanding.”
However, Trump struck a more combative tone in his social media post, calling Stitt’s letter on Monday “false.”
“Invitations have been sent to all but two state governors who I feel do not deserve to be there,” he wrote, referring to Democratic governors. Wes Moore of Maryland and Jared Polis of Colorado.
He watches: Okla. Stitt says GOP ‘clearly supports Trump’ and is ‘more united than ever’
Trump added: “I look forward to seeing Republican governors, and some Democratic governors who deserved to be invited, but most of them will not attend.”
Following Trump’s post, NGA CEO Brandon Tatum stuck to the group’s events schedule.
“As of Tuesday evening, only Republican governors had received invitations from the White House to attend the Friday morning business meeting,” he said in a statement. “We hope that we can have a constructive bipartisan dialogue with the president during the session. Continuing the tradition of the working meeting is an important step towards building bridges between the parties.”
At this time, it is unclear how many Democrats will attend the White House. Some, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, said Wednesday they did not plan to attend the meeting. Others, such as Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, have indicated they will participate.
White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt said Tuesday that Trump has “the discretion to invite anyone he wants to the White House.”
This dispute is a reminder of the challenge facing partisan or nonpartisan organizations in Washington in the Trump era. The US Conference of Mayors, which includes city leaders from both parties, met in Washington earlier this month but was not invited to the White House.
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The governor’s meeting, usually a low-key event, took on a more intense character last year when Trump returned to the White House.
The president singled out Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, for his administration’s efforts to prevent transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. He threatened to withhold federal funding from the state if it did not comply, prompting Mills to respond, “We’ll see you in court.”
Trump expected Mills’ political career to end because of her opposition to this matter, even though she is now running for US Senate on a strong anti-Trump agenda.
Disagreements had a lasting impact on last year’s convention, and some Democratic governors did not renew their dues last year to the bipartisan group.
Associated Press journalists Tran Nguyen in Sacramento, California, and Susan Hai in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.
