Trump agrees to meet at White House with all governors, including Democrats
Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
Wed, February 11, 2026 at 8:25 PM UTC
2 min read
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WASHINGTON — All governors, regardless of their party affiliation, are invited to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House next week after the president previously sought to limit the annual gathering to only Republican governors.
The reversal came after Trump spoke by phone on Feb. 11 with Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, the chairman of the National Governors Association, which represents the nation's governors and coordinates the historically bipartisan meeting.
“We’re pleased the president will welcome governors from all 55 states and territories to the White House," Brandon Tatum, CEO of the NGA, said in a statement. "The bipartisan White House governors meeting is a valued tradition and an important opportunity to build bridges and hold constructive conversations. The NGA looks forward to continued collaboration between governors and the White House."
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More: Democratic governors boycott White House dinner after Trump snubs 2 leaders
The bipartisan NGA previously backed out of coordinating the meeting after Trump said he would limit the meeting to only Republican governors.
Yet it was not immediately clear whether Trump still plans to exclude two Democratic governors, Wes Moore of Maryland and Jared Polis of Colorado, from a White House dinner that is separate from the meeting. The two exclusions prompted 18 Democratic governors on Feb. 10 to announce plans to boycott the dinner.
More: Trump excludes two Democrats from White House dinner with governors
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The meeting and dinner are set to take place when the NGA meets in Washington, DC, from Feb. 19 to 21.
The White House did not respond to a request from USA TODAY for comment.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Feb. 10 briefing with reporters that Trump "has the discretion to invite whomever he wants to the White House, and he welcomes all those who received an invitation to come."
"And if they don't want to, that's their loss," Leavitt said.
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump agrees to meet with all governors, regardless of party