Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said he will not attend the upcoming National Governors Association gathering at the White House after President Donald Trump said he was “not worthy” of an invitation, escalating a public dispute that has drawn national attention to the tone of federal-state relations.
In an interview with Norah O’Donnell, Moore responded directly to Trump’s remarks, saying, “I can’t speak to the president’s heart. I can speak to his actions. And I do want to be clear to the president respectfully — you do not determine my worthiness. God determines my worthiness. The people of Maryland determine my worthiness. They are who I answer to, not him.”
Nah, I’m good. pic.twitter.com/yt4CoCisdv
— Wes Moore (@iamwesmoore) February 13, 2026
Moore, a Democrat and the nation’s only Black governor, added that he remains willing to work with the administration on policy matters but would not participate in what he described as personal attacks. “I have been very clear with the people of my state that I will work with anyone, but I will bow down to no one. And I think the president has a problem with that,” Moore said. “If the point of the meeting is to turn it into name-calling or to follow what he did in this most recent tweet, which is full of lies and ignorance and is unhinged — if the point of the meeting is that, then my answer to the president is very clear: no, I’m good.”
When asked to clarify whether that meant he would not attend, Moore responded, “Oh, I’m good. I will not go. Absolutely not.”
The dispute began earlier this week when Moore announced that he had been uninvited from this year’s National Governors Association dinner, a decades-long bipartisan tradition intended to bring together governors from both parties with the president to foster cooperation and celebrate public service. Moore currently serves as vice chair of the National Governors Association, having been selected by his peers from both parties.
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…
— Governor Wes Moore (@GovWesMoore) February 8, 2026
“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 said in a statement. He described the decision as “a blatant disrespect and a snub to the spirit of bipartisan federal-state partnership.”
Moore also pointed to the broader implications of the decision. “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,” he said.
He noted that the exclusion came weeks after he had participated in a bipartisan meeting at the White House focused on lowering energy costs and strengthening grid reliability. “We proved in that moment what’s possible when we stay focused on outcomes over politics,” Moore said, calling the decision “especially confounding.”
Trump responded in a social media post disputing claims that the event was limited to Republican governors. He said invitations were sent to all governors except two he deemed “not worthy,” naming Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. Trump criticized Moore over past controversies, including allegations related to military service claims and his handling of the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, as well as crime in Baltimore. He also used disparaging language to describe Moore and other Democratic governors, while maintaining that most governors from both parties were invited.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 11, 2026
The annual gathering, organized by the National Governors Association, has historically served as a symbolic moment of bipartisan engagement between state leaders and the White House. Moore’s exclusion and decision not to attend have intensified scrutiny of how those traditions are maintained amid heightened political tensions.
Despite the dispute, Moore reiterated that his approach to governing would remain unchanged. “I will work with cabinet secretaries and agency heads. I will work with anybody if it means that they’re going to advance the issues for the people of Maryland,” he said, underscoring his view that collaboration and independence are not mutually exclusive in his role as governor.
