The National Governors Association announced that President Donald Trump will welcome governors from all 55 states and territories to the White House after initially planning to invite only Republican governors. The reversal came following criticism from Democratic governors who threatened to boycott the annual gathering.

The dispute erupted when Trump's team extended invitations only to Republican governors for a business meeting during the annual governors' conference. Democratic governors protested, saying they would skip the White House dinner if excluded from the business portion. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, chair of the NGA, confirmed the change after conversations with the White House.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended the selective invitations, stating that Trump has "discretion to invite anyone he wants" to the White House. The annual governors' meeting has traditionally been a rare bipartisan event in Washington, making the initial exclusion particularly notable. The NGA's CEO Brandon Tatum expressed satisfaction with the resolution, emphasizing the importance of including all governors in the gathering.