The National Governors Association stated Wednesday {that a} historically bipartisan meeting on the White House subsequent week is again on after invites had been prolonged to all of its members, even as President Donald Trump continued to rage in opposition to two of the nation’s Democratic governors and the group’s co-chair, GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt.
The Oklahoma Republican instructed his fellow governors in a Wednesday letter that all members — together with Democratic governors initially excluded from NGA’s enterprise meeting on the White House — are invited to the occasion, citing a “misunderstanding in scheduling.”
“I am writing to inform you that President Donald J. Trump is inviting all governors of the 55 States and territories to the Friday, Feb. 20 NGA Business Breakfast at 8:30am est,” Stitt wrote Wednesday in a letter shared with NCS. “He was very clear in his communications with me that this is a National Governors Association’s event, and he looks forward to hosting you and hearing from governors across the country. President Trump said this was always his intention, and we have addressed the misunderstanding in scheduling.”
The obvious reversal comes after Stitt instructed NGA members Monday that the group would not facilitate the White House meeting, citing the choice to solely invite Republicans and to additional exclude from a White House dinner two governors who’ve publicly quarreled with Trump: Maryland’s Wes Moore, who co-chairs the NGA with Stitt, and Colorado’s Jared Polis.
“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,” Stitt wrote Monday in a letter shared with NCS. “We cannot allow one divisive action to achieve its goal of dividing us. The solution is not to respond in kind, but to rise above and to remain focused on our shared duty to the people we serve.”
A supply with the National Governors Association confirmed that Democratic governors had initially been excluded from the morning enterprise meeting, however had begun to obtain invites to the bipartisan occasion Wednesday. A White House spokesperson confirmed to NCS that all members of the NGA had been invited to Friday’s enterprise meeting.
But Trump additional sophisticated issues Wednesday afternoon, when he weighed in on the again and forth in a publish to his Truth Social platform, lambasting Stitt, who he stated “incorrectly stated my position” on the NGA meeting and blasting Moore and Polis.
“The RINO Governor of the Great State of Oklahoma, in which I won all 77 Counties, three times (The only person to do so!), incorrectly stated my position on the very exclusive Governors Annual Dinner and Meeting at the White House,” Trump stated. “The invitations were sent to ALL Governors, other than two, who I feel are not worthy of being there.”
The president additionally singled out Polis, who has blocked his efforts to pardon election denier Tina Peters on state charges, and Moore, who he stated is “doing a terrible job on the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge” and has “allowed Baltimore to continue to be a Crime Disaster.”
In one other publish, Trump doubled down on his criticism of Stitt, who broke with the president earlier this 12 months on immigration enforcement.
“When Kevin Stitt, the very mediocre (at best!) RINO Governor of Oklahoma, was losing his Election to a Democrat, primarily because he did a bad job, he called for my help. I Endorsed him, and he won — Sorry, my cherished Oklahoma, to have done that to you!” Trump added.