America’s only black governor uninvited from White House dinner

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has found himself uninvited from the National Governors Association Dinner to take place at the White House tomorrow, an event that is part of the winter meetings of governors from across the United States (US).

The governors’ winter meeting is scheduled to kick off today with the White House meeting slated for Friday. The black tie dinner follows formal discussions.

However, President Donald Trump has decided not to invite Moore, the only black governor in the US, stating that the two democratic governors not invited were not worthy to be invited.

A spokesperson for the administration said the dinner is a White House event and the president can select who he wants to attend.

In a statement issued late last week, Moore, whose parents are Jamaicans, said, “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. My peers, both Democrats and Republicans, selected me to serve as the vice chair of the NGA, another reason why it’s hard not to see this decision as another example of blatant disrespect and a snub to the spirit of bipartisan federal-state partnership.

“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.

“What makes it especially confounding is that just weeks ago I was at the White House with a bipartisan group of governors, working with the administration on reforms to lower energy costs and strengthen grid reliability. We proved in that moment what’s possible when we stay focused on outcomes over politics.

DISAPPOINTED BUT RESILIENT

“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. 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.”

The chief executive officer of the NGA, Brandon Tatum, said in a statement that the association was disappointed at the administration’s decision to make the dinner a partisan occasion this year.

“To disinvite individual governors to the White House sessions undermines an important opportunity for federal-state collaboration,” Tatum said in his statement.

The decision to exclude Moore and other democratic governors from the working session at the White House marks a break in tradition from presidents of both political parties dating back to 1924.

In response to an invitation not being issued to the two democratic governors, 18 other democratic governors said they would not be participating in the White House events.

Moore has tangled with the Trump administration on several issues, including the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to the streets of several states with democratic leadership.

Lester Hinds