Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said his disinvitation from the 2026 National Governors Association dinner is a “snub” to bipartisan federal-state partnerships, a move he said reflects a broader effort by President Donald Trump to divide institutions traditionally built on cooperation.
“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 said.
The annual dinner is a long-standing tradition meant to foster unity among the nation’s governors and the president of the United States. This year, however, Trump adjusted the guest list for the event. Democratic governors were excluded from the business meeting, and two of those governors — Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis — were not invited to the dinner.
I'm in the room because I belong there. pic.twitter.com/JhgDsnCzZX
— Wes Moore (@iamwesmoore) February 9, 2026
Moore said in a news release Sunday that he learned earlier this week that he was uninvited from the dinner. Moore was elected to serve as the association’s vice chair in July, which he said is another reason it is “hard not to see this decision as another example of blatant disrespect” and a snub to the spirit of bipartisan federal-state partnership.
Moore expanded on his remarks during an interview on CNN Sunday morning, saying the exclusion of Democratic governors from traditionally bipartisan events fits into a larger pattern he sees from the Trump administration.
“It’s not just the policies that we have continued to see. We are watching a president who is just unchecked,” Moore said. “And so what we need to do right now in this moment, it is important that people come out and vote in November and make their voices heard.”
Asked about the National Governors Association dinner specifically, Moore said the organization would not support the event if it remained partisan.
“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,” Moore said. “It will not be an NGA event.”
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill says she won't attend the National Governors Association dinner if her fellow Democrats Wes Moore and Jared Polis aren't invited by the White House. "No, I will not be going. This is ridiculous." pic.twitter.com/U9hRnSVEk1
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 10, 2026
Moore said the position reflects the bipartisan nature of the association, noting that both Democratic and Republican governors selected him to serve as vice chair.
“This is a bipartisan organization, where Democratic and Republican governors come together to work on addressing the needs of our people,” Moore said. “If you exclude one, you exclude us all.”
Moore said the decision was puzzling given his recent work with the administration on bipartisan priorities.
“It’s particularly confusing, because, just a few weeks ago, I led a group of Democratic and Republican governors to the White House,” Moore said. “And we had a meeting with the White House where we signed a memorandum of understanding around energy and trying to increase energy supply and bring down energy costs.”
During the interview, Moore said he could not speak to Trump’s intent but acknowledged the personal weight of the moment.
“It’s not lost on me that I’m the only Black governor in this country,” Moore said. “I’m not in the room because of someone’s benevolence nor kindness. I’m not in the room because of a social experiment. I’m in the room because I belong there and the room was incomplete until I got there.”
He emphasized that as Maryland’s governor and the association’s vice chair, his approach will “never change,” and that he remains willing to work with the Trump administration to deliver results for Marylanders, despite the disinvitation.
“I promised the people of my state I would work with anybody but will not bow down to nobody,” Moore said. “And I guess the president doesn’t like that.”
Moore also addressed other political issues, including his push to redraw Maryland’s congressional map, which has divided Democrats in the General Assembly. Moore said the effort is a response to redistricting moves in Republican-led states and argued that Maryland has an obligation to act in what he described as an emergency moment for democracy.
Moore also pointed to broader federal actions affecting the state, saying Maryland has lost thousands of federal jobs and billions of dollars in aid under the Trump administration, including what he described as a lack of federal disaster relief.
“This is about our democracy,” Moore said. “When you are watching Donald Trump in front of our face trying to ruin and trying to thwart democracy, we have an obligation to step up.”