The National Governors Association's annual winter meeting has once again attracted unwanted partisan attention.
As Republican Governor Spencer Cox of Utah told Newsweek, the event is supposed to be "boring." But as far as events focused on bipartisan problem-solving go, this year's meeting attracted unusual levels of drama and headlines.
President Donald Trump triggered a wave of stories before the event even started when he declined to invite Democratic Governors Wes Moore of Maryland and Jared Polis of Colorado to the NGA's annual bipartisan breakfast at the White House that's usually open to all the nation's chief executives, regardless of party affiliation.
Last year, Trump got in a shouting match with Maine's Democratic Governor Janet Mills over the state allowing transgender athletes to compete in sports that ended with Mills yelling, "see you in court." To avoid drama this year, NGA Chair Kevin Stitt, the Republican governor of Oklahoma, looked to smooth over tensions behind the scenes.
A Wednesday letter from Stitt, obtained by CBS News, to the nation's 55 state and territory governors stated all of them were invited to the event, per a conversation with Trump. Later that day, the president posted on Truth Social that Stitt misrepresented his position, emphasizing Moore and Polis were not invited and deriding Stitt as a RINO (Republican In Name Only).
Nonetheless, Sitt remained firm in his pleas for unity as he formally opened the event to a crowd of governors, sponsors, media, and other attendees on Friday afternoon:
"I truly believe that more unites us than divides us in our country, and at the end of the day, we all want the same things," Stitt said in his address. "I say this all the time to Oklahomans, I say, 'let Washington, D.C. play politics -- let's just make our state the very best state it can be.''"
Trump justified his decision on Truth Social not to invite Polis because the governor was not working with the White House to pardon a Colorado woman sentenced to prison for vote tampering under state law, and not to invite Moore for his handling of the rebuilding of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key bridge, among other reasons.
However, Democrats viewed this as a particularly harsh slap in the face because Polis served as NGA chair before Stitt, and Moore, as NGA Vice Chair, is set to succeed Stitt. The two ultimately appeared at the business-focused White House breakfast, but The Hill reports they will not attend a Saturday black-tie dinner.
Speaking to Newsweek, Cox, who chaired the NGA before Polis, expressed gratitude that the governors ultimately came together for the breakfast and believes their doing so reflects the overwhelming desire among Americans not to see political drama surround this type of event.
"[Americans] should view [this event] as incredibly boring, and politics needs to be boring again, because when you're solving problems, that's boring," he said. "When you're just trying to get followers on TikTok, you don't get good policy done."
The veteran political pollster and media personality Frank Luntz took the stage following Stitt's address to present poll findings that appeared to back Cox's point.
Luntz's polling found that 72 percent of Americans said there is more that divides the country than unites it at the current moment. Sixty-seven percent said these are the "worst of times." And half said they were self-censoring opinions to avoid endangering relationships.
"How do we move forward together when we are that polarized that we cannot find common ground?" Luntz said.
One positive point he emphasized is that 54 percent of Americans have a favorable impression of their governors, and they're more likely to trust local and state governments than the federal government. Luntz said,"Congress, they are the problem," and suggested that governors can be the solution by rebuilding trust in government by tackling problems rather than inflaming partisanship.
The event no doubt had a bipartisan feel as Republican and Democratic governors alike shuttled in between events in the Grand Hyatt Washington, meeting with each other and members of the business community from major firms like Google, Amtrak, and Capital One to discuss issues facing the country.
However, like many gatherings in Washington, this event -- where people dressed in suits, ties, and heels discussing matters of public affairs -- felt distant from the daily experiences of most Americans. To stay grounded, Moore emphasized that governors must focus on this year's NGA theme, "reigniting the American Dream," which means ensuring anyone can attain success no matter their background.
"The American Dream is worth fighting for, and it's important to know that with everything we do, our focus should be to reignite it," Moore said. "[What] makes the most special experiment in world history so special [is] the idea that where you were born does not and should not have to determine where you end up in your life."