The White House is defending President Donald Trump‘s decision to disinvite Maryland Gov. Wes Moore from an upcoming meeting and dinner hosting the nation’s governors.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to a question about the recent announcement from the National Governors Association governors that they would no longer be meeting with Trump and cabinet officials later this month after the president’s decision to exclude Democrats like Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.
“It’s at the White House, the People’s House. It’s also the president’s home, so he can invite whomever he wants to dinners and events here at the White House,” said Leavitt.
Minutes before, the Democratic Governors Association, led by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, said in a joint statement, “If the reports are true that not all governors are invited to these events, which have historically been productive and bipartisan opportunities for collaboration, we will not be attending the White House dinner this year.”
Leavitt went further in her remarks, calling out Moore specifically, telling reporters, “I believe Governor Moore was invited last year, and he did not show up to the dinner…nobody reported on it.”
The Trump spokesperson added, “We welcome all those who received the invitation to come, and if they don’t want to, that’s their loss.”
When asked about the White House snub earlier this week, Gov. Moore told CNN, “It’s not lost on me that I’m the only Black governor in the country” adding, “I find it particularly painful considering the fact that the president is trying to exclude me from an organization that are not only my peers but have asked me to lead.”
Trump and Governor Moore have clashed several times over the past year over the president’s withholding of FEMA funds for disaster relief following devastating floods in Maryland, as well as Trump’s repeated threats to send the National Guard to Baltimore, Maryland’s majority Black and largest city, which the president called a “hellhole.”
Trump also repeated a false story about his first and only encounter with Moore at last year’s Army-Navy football game.
“I met this gentleman. I never met him before. [He said], ‘Sir, you’re doing a great job. You’re doing an unbelievable job. Thank you very much,” Trump claimed.
The day before, Trump said of his brief meeting with Governor Moore: “He came over to me, hugged me, shook my hand. You were there. He said, So you’re the greatest president of my lifetime. I said, but it’s really nice that you say that. I’d love you to say it publicly, but I don’t think you can do that, so it’s OK.”
Video of the encounter disproved Trump’s claims. Gov. Moore said of Trump at the time, “The president seems to be obsessed with me.”
Following Trump’s decision to disinvite him to the White House governors dinner, Moore explained to CNN, “I’m ready to work with the administration anywhere we can deliver results.”
He added, “Yet, I promised the people of my state I will work with anybody but will bow down to nobody. And I guess the President doesn’t like that.”
