Trump's refusal to invite all governors to a White House meeting prompts group to back out

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Governors Association is pulling out of an annual meeting at the White House after President Donald Trump declined to invite two Democratic governors, undercutting one of Washington's few remaining bipartisan gatherings.

Trump is still expected to meet with governors at the White House on Friday but the event will not be facilitated by an organization founded more than a century ago to help state leaders from both parties advocate for their interests in Washington. The Republican president had refused to include Democratic Govs. Jared Polis of Colorado and Wes Moore of Maryland and recently blasted them on social media as "not worthy of being there.”

In a brief interview Thursday, Polis said he does not have “any ability to get in (Trump's) head.” Polis said he was nonetheless meeting with governors from both parties while he is in the nation's capital.

“I’ve spent quality time with my colleagues this morning and really learning from one another and taking best practices that Republican or Democratic governors have launched in their state,” he said. “It’s really what these meetings are about.”

The episode underscores the confrontational approach Trump has taken during his second term toward state leaders he does not like. He has at times threatened to withhold federal money or send in troops over the objections of local leaders. Now, even a ceremonial White House dinner has become a flashpoint and fellow Republicans openly acknowledge that Trump's aim as president is not to unify the country.

“He’s not putting his mind to it,” Gov. Spencer Cox, R-Utah, said at an event sponsored by Politico. “He’s said very clearly that that’s not who he is.”

In an interview Wednesday, Moore said he has “no desire to have beef with the president of the United States.”

“I didn’t run for governor like, man, I can’t wait so me and the president can go toe to toe,” said Moore, the NGA's vice chair. “But the fact that he is waking up in the middle of the night and tweeting about me, I just, I pray for him and I just feel bad for him because that has just got to be a really, really hard existence.”

The dynamics are a far cry from the air of bipartisanship that Moore and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who chairs the NGA, sought to portray as governors began to assemble in Washington. Moore and Stitt shared a stage several times this week swapping jokes and praise.

“I have gotten, through the National Governors Association, a really good chance to know the heart of this man and how much he is a great American, loves his country, loves his citizens and is just trying to do the best he can for Maryland,” Stitt said Thursday at the Politico event.

After Stitt tried to resolve the standoff between the White House and the Democratic governors last week, Trump blasted him as a “RINO,” short for Republican In Name Only, and accused him of misrepresenting his position. Stitt struck a conciliatory tone Thursday, noting he would participate in White House events.

“Politics has a way of just beating you down over time so I can’t imagine being president of the United States," Stitt said. "He’s got a tough job to do.”

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican who occasionally disagreed with Trump, said it was a “mistake” for the White House not to include all governors.

“There never was a huge amount of real work that got accomplished but it was a nice thing annually to bring all the governors — Republicans and Democrats — together,” he said in an interview. “I know there’s a lot of friction but it just seems in everybody’s best interest even if you passionately disagree and you don’t like the other person or you’re mad about whatever, it can’t hurt to be in the same room together.”

Beyond the White House meeting, some governors also shared pointed criticisms of the administration's ever-expanding power. They bemoaned the unwillingness of the Republican-controlled Congress to limit Trump’s ambitions and they cast themselves as counterweights to the executive.

“Presidents aren’t supposed to do this stuff,” Cox said. “Congress needs to get their act together. And stop performing for TikTok and actually start doing stuff. That’s the flaw we’re dealing with right now.”

Cox added that “it is up to the states to hold the line.”

As governors cycled through panels and interviews, one question hovered: Who among them might seek the presidency in 2028?

Moore and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania were among the potential Democratic presidential contenders in Washington this week. Other Democrats, including Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and JB Pritzker of Illinois, were not in town.

Stitt and Moore, during a panel discussion, both declined to rule out a future bid and emphasized their focus on their home states.

Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., took a more open approach. He arrived in Washington days after announcing he would release a book this fall and fielded questions at a Center for American Progress event about how he might campaign for president if he enters the race.

Asked afterward about his timeline for a decision, Beshear said his focus this year remains on Kentucky and “then after that, I’ll sit down with my family and we’ll consider it.”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore laughs with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt at an event at the National Governors Association Winter Meeting, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, center, fist bumps Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt at an event at the National Governors Association Winter Meeting, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

Politico Correspondent Adam Wren, Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., and Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Okla., participate at an event at the National Governors Association Winter Meeting, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks at an event at the National Governors Association Winter Meeting, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 19, 2026--

Chronicle Studios, the agentic AI media company that automates social channel growth for brands and creators, is entering the webcomic arena by partnering with illustrator Teo Skaffa ( Fright Nights, The Goonies: The Illustrated Storybook ) on his upcoming young adult Webtoon series Graveheart Keep. The announcement was made today by Aaron Sisto, Co-Founder and CEO of Chronicle Studios.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260219938236/en/

Marking Chronicle Studios’ first Webtoon channel partner and set in a creepy-cute gothic horror castle, Graveheart Keep follows the half-human half-vampire princess, Lara, who teams up with an amnesiac Bone Boy to save the Vampire King from a grief-fueled sickness after the Queen is mysteriously murdered on castle grounds. To save him, Lara and the Bone Boy must brave the horrors of Graveheart Keep. But deep within its shadows, they uncover a conspiracy threatening to tear the human and monster realms apart. Graveheart Keep is written and illustrated by Skaffa, who will announce the series’ Spring launch date through his Instagram page @teoskaffa.

Chronicle Studios’ AI-driven social content intelligence platform will oversee all social strategy, content optimization, global audience discovery and monetization for Graveheart Keep across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Its cross-platform, multimodal AI agents automate the full content lifecycle on social, including viewer acquisition, distribution, growth and monetization across social platforms, to deliver high-value audiences and channel growth for top global creators and brands.

“Teo is a uniquely special talent who is generating intense interest and fandom throughout the webcomic community. We are excited to team up with him to launch his first Webtoon series,” said Sisto. “As Chronicle continues to successfully optimize a diverse array of content from our YouTube channel partners, we’re ready to expand into other popular platforms like Webtoon, and Graveheart Keep is the perfect project to kick off this next chapter of our strategic growth.”

Skaffa added, “I've wanted to make a comic for as long as I can remember. But it's a pretty big undertaking and the circumstances never seemed to be completely right, until now. It's immensely humbling that Chronicle Studios is giving me the opportunity to finally turn one of my ideas into a fully illustrated story, especially since they give me complete creative freedom; something that doesn't usually come easily (or at all) going through the traditional publishing route. They have been nothing but great to work with and I'm looking forward to see what our collaboration will bring in the future.”

In addition to webcomics, Chronicle Studios identifies and partners with content creators, studios and brands throughout the creative community worldwide, spanning animation, live action comedy and drama, lifestyle, video games, music and video podcasts, to name a few. The company’s content partners include, among others, Academy Award-nominated animation production company The Hive Studio on the YouTube animated series “The Vampair” and “The Normal MFer,” animator Gabe Hordos on his animated YouTube series “The Old Knight.”

To date, Chronicle Studios has raised $11.6 million in seed funding from Patron and Point72 Ventures, with participation from Z Ventures, Sands Capital and other prominent investors.

ABOUT TEO SKAFFA

Teo Skaffa is from a small place in The Netherlands you’ve probably never heard of. He now lives in an even smaller place (you definitely haven’t heard of) in the Italian countryside. Besides making art, he makes music using synthesizers and outdated technology and plays the Banjo.

He likes drawing creepy-cute atmospheric scenes and characters, and is very grateful that he’s able to make a living by drawing, especially since he’s not particularly good at anything else.

ABOUT CHRONICLE STUDIOS

Chronicle Studios is an AI-driven media company that automates social media audience growth for content creators, brands and studio partners across animation, gaming, lifestyle, music, video podcasts, webcomics and more. The company’s agentic AI platform autonomously manages the full content lifecycle, including channel strategy, audience discovery, content optimization and cross-platform distribution – driving audience acquisition and unlocking revenue streams. Founded in 2025 with backing from Patron, Point72 Ventures, Z Ventures, Sands Capital and other prominent investors, Chronicle Studios is based in San Francisco, with offices in Los Angeles, New York and London. For more information, please visit https://www.chronicle.studio.

Graveheart Keep, written and illustrated by Teo Skaffa.