President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One, early Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., after returning from a trip to Florida. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2026-02-10T16:37:37Z WASHINGTON (AP) The National Governors Association will no longer hold a formal meeting with President Donald Trump when the group of state leaders meet in Washington later this month after the White House planned to invite only Republicans.NGA staff was informed that the White House intends to limit invitations to the annual business meeting, scheduled for February 20, to Republican governors only, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who is the chairman of the NGA, said in a Monday letter to fellow governors obtained by The Associated Press. Because NGAs mission is to represent all 55 governors, the Association is no longer serving as the facilitator for that event, and it is no longer included in our official program.The NGA is scheduled to meet in Washington from Feb. 19-21. Representatives for Stitt, the White House and the NGA didnt immediately comment on the letter. Brandon Tatum, the NGAs CEO, said in a statement last week that the White House meeting is an important tradition and said the organization was disappointed in the administrations decision to make it a partisan occasion this year. The governors group is one of the few remaining venues where political leaders from both major parties gather to discuss the top issues facing their communities. In his letter, Stitt encouraged governors to unite around common goals.We cannot allow one divisive action to achieve its goal of dividing us, he wrote. The solution is not to respond in kind, but to rise above and to remain focused on our shared duty to the people we serve. Americas governors have always been models of pragmatic leadership, and that example is most important when Washington grows distracted by politics. Signs of partisan tensions emerged at the White House meeting last year, when Trump and Maines then-Gov. Janet Mills traded barbs. Trump singled out the Democratic governor over his push to bar transgender athletes from competing in girls and womens sports, threatening to withhold federal funding from the state if she did not comply. Mills responded, Well see you in court.Trump then predicted that Mills political career would be over for opposing the order. She is now running for U.S. Senate.The back and forth had a lasting impact on last years conference and some Democratic governors did not renew their dues last year to the bipartisan group.___Peoples reported from New York. JOEY CAPPELLETTI Cappelletti covers Congress for The Associated Press. He previously reported on Michigan politics for AP. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site