President Donald Trump reportedly plans to invite only Republican governors to an annual meeting, usually hosted by the bipartisan National Governors' Association (NGA). Gov. Kevin Stitt, who chairs the group, sent a letter to members Monday with a message about staying united in light of Trump's partisan antics.
While the letter said that invitations for the National Governors' Association's annual business meeting in D.C. next week have not been sent out yet, Stitt informed fellow governors that Trump plans to only invite Republicans to that event and a corresponding dinner with him at the White House.
In the letter, Stitt says the NGA is withdrawing as the official organizer of the dinner.
"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.
He also urged fellow governors not to let Trump's "divisive action" sway them from their common goals.
"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," Stitt wrote. "America's governors have always been models of pragmatic leadership, and that example is most important when Washington grows distracted by politics."
The Associated Press, which first broke the story, reported that Democratic governors in the group have vowed to boycott the White House dinner in light of Trump targeting them.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said while the White House belongs to the people, "It's also the president's home, so he can invite whomever he wants to dinners and events here at the White House."
Neither Stitt nor the NGA replied to inquiries for comment.
