Dem
47
GOP
53
In the past, the National Governors Association, whose members are the 50 state and 5 territorial governors, met with the president in D.C. in the winter to exchange thoughts on policy. It has always been bipartisan and relatively nonpolitical. Not anymore. This year, Donald Trump invited only the Republican governors, since he regards the Democratic governors and their states as his enemies. In response, the chairman of the NGA, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK), announced that the winter meeting with the president has been canceled. He said: "Because NGA's 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." He added that Trump's decision to exclude the Democratic governors runs counter to everything the NGA is trying to achieve, so he does not want the organization to take part in a distraction from its mission.
Karoline Leavitt put it differently. She said about the White House: "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." Maybe the real problem is that there was no place to hold the dinner, since the East Wing of the White House is gone with the wind.
Update: Late yesterday, TACO. The meeting will happen after all, with all 55 governors. There seems to be a pattern here. When there is real pushback to something Trump says or does, he is the one who caves. (V)