Maryland Governor Wes Moore Suggests Race Behind White House Snub
Democratic Governor Wes Moore of Maryland, the nation's only sitting Black governor, has publicly stated that racism may have been a factor in his exclusion from an upcoming bipartisan dinner for governors at the White House. This development comes as Governor Moore rules out a 2028 presidential run, despite being considered a frontrunner.
Exclusion from Bipartisan Tradition
In a strongly worded statement, Governor Moore revealed that he learned this week he was uninvited to this year's National Governors Association dinner. This event is a decades-long annual tradition designed to foster bonds and celebrate shared service among governors from both parties with the President of the United States.
"As the nation's only Black governor, I can't ignore that being singled out for exclusion from this bipartisan tradition carries an added weight—whether that was the intent or not," Moore declared. He characterized the decision as "blatant disrespect and a snub to the spirit of bipartisan federal-state partnership."
White House Response and Additional Exclusions
The White House swiftly dismissed this interpretation of events. A White House official told Politico, "Many Democrats were invited to dinner at the White House, and others were not. These are White House events and the President reserves the right to invite whomever he wants."
Governor Moore was not alone in his exclusion. Jared Polis, the Democratic governor of Colorado, also did not receive an invitation to the black-tie event. President Trump had previously announced that this month's annual meeting of governors at the White House would only include Republicans.
National Governors Association Position
The administration still plans to host a bipartisan dinner with governors and their spouses during the National Governors Association gathering in Washington, which begins on February 19. However, the NGA has clarified that it will not consider the meeting or dinner officially sanctioned NGA events.
According to an email obtained by The New York Times, the NGA informed members: "The president has decided to only invite Republican governors. N.G.A. leadership has decided that this will not be an N.G.A. event, and no N.G.A. resources will be used to support transportation for this activity."
Governor Moore reiterated this position on CNN's State of the Union, stating: "The NGA will not support this dinner. If the president wants to have a dinner with his friends and have a black-tie dinner with his friends on that night, that is perfectly fine. It will not be an NGA event."
Broader Context of Racial Controversy
This invitation dispute unfolds against a backdrop of significant racial controversy involving President Trump. On Friday, Trump's social media account shared a video depicting former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, invoking centuries-old racist tropes used to dehumanize Black people.
President Trump has declined to apologize, claiming he didn't watch the full clip before it was posted. A White House official told The Hill that a staffer "erroneously" shared the video on his behalf. The video has since been deleted but provoked rare bipartisan criticism.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, stated: "It's the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House. The President should remove it."
History of Conflict Between Moore and Trump
Governor Moore and President Trump have a history of public disagreements. The Maryland governor previously pushed back against Trump's threat to send the National Guard to Baltimore to combat crime. This prompted Trump to threaten withholding funding to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which was destroyed in 2024 when a ship collided with it.
At last year's governors meeting at the White House, President Trump had a memorable exchange with Maine Governor Janet Mills. The two clashed over Trump's executive order pushing governments to ban transgender women and girls from women's sports or risk losing federal funding.
The exclusion of Governor Moore from the White House dinner, combined with the recent social media controversy, has intensified discussions about race and bipartisanship in American politics. As the only Black governor in the nation, Moore's experience highlights ongoing tensions in political relationships and representation at the highest levels of government.
