A political disagreement in the United States has drawn attention after President Donald Trump excluded Maryland Governor Wes Moore from a White House dinner during a national governors’ meeting.
The event was scheduled as part of activities surrounding the National Governors Association gathering, where state leaders from across the country meet to discuss policy and cooperation. President Trump announced that all governors would be invited to the dinner — except Governor Wes Moore of Maryland and Governor Jared Polis of Colorado.
Governor Moore, who is Maryland’s first Black governor and a former U.S. Army officer, confirmed that the president described him as “not worthy” of attending. The comment was widely seen as a personal attack.
Responding publicly, Moore did not escalate the dispute. Instead, he addressed the issue in measured terms.
“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.”
President Trump shared his criticism on Truth Social, where he questioned Moore’s leadership, referred to him as “foul-mouthed,” and raised doubts about his military Bronze Star award.
In an interview with CBS News, Moore said he remains open to working across political lines but would not participate in a meeting centered on personal attacks.
“If the point of the meeting is to turn it into name-calling… I will not go.”
Reports indicate that the administration had initially considered excluding all Democratic governors from the formal gathering. Ultimately, only Moore and Polis were left out of the dinner invitation.
The decision prompted a show of solidarity from many Democratic governors, several of whom announced they would not attend the dinner in protest.
Governor Polis also stated that regardless of the invitation issue, he would continue cooperating with other state leaders to improve the lives of residents.
Despite the controversy, Moore emphasized that his responsibility remains to the people who elected him, not to political rivals.