Gov. Wes Moore says he was blocked from Trump’s governors dinner, and as the nation’s only Black governor that feels deliberate

Maryland Governor Wes Moore, the only Black governor in the country, said that race might be why President Donald Trump blocked him from attending a dinner for the nation’s governors. Moore, a Democrat, said he was confused and hurt by the decision, which happened before the annual black-tie dinner hosted by the White House and the National Governors Association (NGA).

The president said the winter meeting would mostly include Republican governors. However, Moore and Colorado Governor Jared Polis were specifically singled out and excluded from the dinner. This was unusual because Moore isn’t just a regular member of the NGA. He currently serves as the organization’s Vice Chair and was leading a group of governors to the White House just a few weeks ago.

According to Politico, Moore made it clear that his unique position wasn’t lost on him. “It’s not lost on me that I’m the only Black governor in this country, and I find that to be particularly painful,” he said, “considering the fact that the president is trying to exclude me from an organization that not only my peers have asked me to help to lead, but then also a place where I know I belong in.”

Moore’s powerful response shows his determination to stand his ground

The Maryland governor said he doesn’t need permission to be a leader. He stressed that his presence isn’t an experiment or a favor to make anyone look good. “I have long learned, and I’ve talked to the people and the children of my state, that I am never in a room because of someone’s benevolence or kindness,” Moore said. “I’m not in a room because of a social experiment. I’m in the room because I belong there, and the room was incomplete until I got there.”

When asked if he truly believes race is the deciding factor, Moore said he couldn’t speak to the president’s intent. However, the context makes the exclusion feel targeted. Moore and Governor Polis have been vocal critics of President Trump since he began his second term. Moore has publicly condemned the president’s controversial immigration enforcement actions and his deployment of the National Guard for fighting crime.

Moore has also been a strong supporter of redrawing Maryland’s district maps. He says this stance is in direct opposition to the president’s efforts to create GOP-majority districts in other states. The governor has also criticized Trump’s attempts to rebrand federal landmarks. However, other Democratic governors, such as California’s Gavin Newsom, have also clashed publicly with President Trump, yet they weren’t all excluded.

A White House official said these are White House events, and the president “reserves the right to invite whomever he wants.” The official also noted that many Democrats were invited to dinner, but others were not. Despite the White House’s claim that this is standard practice, the NGA itself is taking a stand.

Moore confirmed that because he and Polis were blocked, the NGA has committed to pulling its official support for the event. The NGA won’t recognize the gathering as one of its official dinners. “The NGA will not support this dinner,” Moore said. He added that if President Trump wants to have a black-tie dinner with his friends, that’s fine, but it won’t be an NGA event.