WASHINGTON — The annual dinner with governors at the White House is typically a chance for leaders from both parties to come together, socialize and spend a low-key evening with the president. But like many traditions during President Donald Trump’s second term, Saturday’s dinner has proven unusually controversial.
Ahead of this week’s gathering of the National Governors Association, Trump ridiculed the bipartisan group’s leadership, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma and Democratic Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland. He refused to invite Moore, along with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, to a working event at the White House on Friday — only to relent at the last minute.
Even then, the event was cut short when Trump learned of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down his sweeping tariff policy, leaving even some Republicans frustrated by the week’s turbulence.
“It was unfortunate that the Supreme Court came out with a bad ruling at that time,” said Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican and top Trump ally.
Dozens of Democrats had threatened to boycott the dinner if members of their party were blocked from the working meeting. But even after Moore’s attendance, some said they still wouldn’t show up Saturday.
“President Trump has made this whole thing a farce,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement explaining her decision to skip the dinner.
For all the turmoil surrounding the dinner, some Democrats said Friday’s meeting was useful. Moore said it offered a “chance for us to be able to share our thoughts and our perspectives and our ideas.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said governors asked Trump what lessons were learned from the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement in Minnesota, in which two U.S. citizens were killed within weeks of each other.
“The President said, ‘We’ll only go where we’re wanted,” Hochul said approvingly.
Those who have attended previous dinners said they offered a rare and helpful opportunity for governors to connect with the president and members of his Cabinet away from the pressure of daily governing. Some also said the dinner was a chance to connect with fellow governors from other parties whom they might not see very often.
Asa Hutchinson, the former Republican governor of Arkansas who briefly challenged Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, recalled being assigned to a table one year with then-Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo and getting to know her family.
“It’s a glowing evening in the White House,” Hutchinson, who once chaired the NGA, said in an interview.
