The country’s only Black governor is calling out what he says is racism from the Trump administration. No, Md. Gov. Wes Moore’s most recent critique has nothing to do with the ongoing backlash President Donald Trump is facing for that racist video of the Obama family… This time, Moore’s beef with the president is much more personal.
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Every single year, governors representing all 50 states are invited to the White House for a work meeting and a black-tie dinner hosted by the president. This year, it seems President Trump wanted to switch up the guest list a little. And Gov. Moore’s invitation was rescinded.
While Moore has yet to understand exactly why he was uninvited, the Maryland Democrat theorized the decision came down to ethnicity. He called out Trump over the blatant snub.
“This week, I learned that I was uninvited to this year’s National Governors Association [NGA] 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 had apparently already been selected by both Democrats and Republicans to become the Vice Chair of the NGA. So expectedly, he’s pointing out the folks willing to undermine his bipartisan appointment. “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, he added.
Moore has served as the 63rd governor of his state since 2023. He made history as first Black governor in Maryland’s history and only the third Black person ever elected governor in the U.S.
“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,” Moore continued in his statement.
The White House dismissed Moore’s take on why he was uninvited. “Many Democrats were invited to dinner at the White House, and others were not,” a White House official told POLITICO. “These are White House events and the President reserves the right to invite whomever he wants.”
Since Trump returned to office, tensions between the Republican administration and Democratic leaders have been at an all time high. The president has promised to go after his political enemies– most of which are Democrats. And his targeting of blue states as a part of his ongoing mass deportation mandate has led to many states taking legal action against the administration.
Moore butted heads with Trump last year after the president threatened to send in National guard troops to Maryland cities like Baltimore. Moore quickly shut the idea down, which prompted backlash and threats to pull federal funding from Trump. Still, Moore said in his recent statement that he is more than willing to work with the administration.
“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.”
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