WASHINGTON (AP) — The annual dinner with governors at the White House is typically an opportunity 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 also generated an unusual amount of controversy.
Ahead of this week’s National Governors Association gathering, Trump mocked the leadership of the bipartisan group, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma and Democratic Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland. He declined to invite Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to a work event at the White House on Friday, only to relent at the last minute.
Even so, the event was cut short when Trump learned of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn his sweeping tariff policy, leaving even some Republicans frustrated by the week’s turmoil.
“Unfortunately, the Supreme Court made a terrible decision at the time,” said Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican and a top Trump ally.
Dozens of Democrats threatened to boycott the dinner if members of their party were prevented from attending the work session. But even after Moore showed up, some said they still wouldn’t show up Saturday.
“President Trump has turned this whole thing into a farce,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement explaining her decision not to attend the dinner.
Despite all the confusion over the dinner, some Democrats said Friday’s meeting was useful. Moore said this provides “an opportunity for us to share our thoughts, perspectives and ideas.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said governors are asking what lessons the Trump administration has learned from aggressive immigration enforcement in Minnesota, where two U.S. citizens were killed within weeks of each other.
“The president said, ‘We’re only going to go where we want to go,'” Hochul said approvingly.
People who have attended previous dinners say it provides a rare and rewarding opportunity for governors to network with the president and members of his cabinet away from the day-to-day pressures of governing. Some also said the dinner was an opportunity to network with governors from other parties, people they may not often see.
Asa Hutchinson, the former Republican governor of Arkansas who briefly challenged Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, recalled being assigned to sit at the table with then-Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo one year and getting to know her family.
“It was a glorious night at the White House,” Hutchinson, a former NGA president, said in an interview.
