Maryland Governor Wes Moore Alleges Racial Bias in White House Dinner Exclusion
Maryland Governor Wes Moore is publicly questioning the White House’s decision to uninvite him from the annual National Governors Association (NGA) dinner, suggesting that his exclusion may be rooted in racial bias. The nation’s only Black governor voiced his concerns over the weekend, calling the move “another example of blatant disrespect.”
– Governor Moore, recently selected by his peers as Vice Chair of the bipartisan NGA, stated that the annual dinner is a long-standing tradition intended to foster relationships between governors and the President. He expressed difficulty understanding the decision, given his role within the NGA.
“This week, I learned that I was uninvited to this year’s National Governors Association dinner — a decades-long annual tradition meant to bring governors from both parties together to build bonds and celebrate a shared service to our citizens with the President of the United States,” Moore wrote in a statement.
Moore further emphasized the significance of being the sole Black governor in the country, stating, “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.”
The White House responded to Moore’s claims by stating that the guest list was not based on partisan lines. According to a statement provided to POLITICO, “Many Democrats were invited to dinner at the White House, and others were not. These are White House events and the President reserves the right to invite whomever he wants.”
Colorado Governor Jared Polis was also reportedly blocked from attending the dinner, according to POLITICO. President Donald Trump announced Friday that this year’s NGA weekend would include only Republican governors.
Governor Moore’s situation comes amid heightened tensions between the Republican administration and Democratic leaders. Since President Trump’s return to office, disagreements have surfaced on issues such as deportation mandates, leading to legal challenges from several states.
Moore previously clashed with Trump last year when the President threatened to deploy National Guard troops to Maryland cities like Baltimore. Moore publicly opposed the idea, which reportedly led to threats of federal funding cuts. Despite these past disagreements, Moore affirmed his willingness to collaborate with the administration where possible.
“As Governor of Maryland and Vice Chair of the NGA, my approach will never change: I’m ready to work with the administration anywhere we can deliver results,” he said. “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.”
Moore, who assumed office in 2023, made history as Maryland’s first Black governor and only the third Black person to be elected governor in the United States.
