This Saturday night, the president and first lady are hosting the annual White House dinner held during the National Governors Association (NGA) winter meeting, but reporters on the scene are noting that no Democrats appear to be in attendance.
The people who were there, however, seemed to be getting on just fine without them. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth opened the ceremonies:
Listen as Secretary .@PeteHegseth says grace at the Governor Dinner at the White House — staying true to the foundation that this country was founded upon.
— Erica 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@EricaRN4USA) February 22, 2026
A nation who puts God first, will prosper in all the right ways.
God bless America and president .@realDonaldTrump… pic.twitter.com/pimpr1qOit
The president made remarks, highlighting what he called his “incredible” first year in his second term as president:
JUST IN: Trump at the Governor's Dinner: "It's been an incredible first year... We transformed stagnation into growth. Weakness into strength. Chaos into order and liberty and justice." pic.twitter.com/pOU5zQBiex
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) February 22, 2026
First Lady Melania Trump, who made her love of fashion clear in her movie, the self-titled “Melania,” was noted for her silver pants:
The President and First Lady host a dinner for the nation’s governors | February 21, 2026 pic.twitter.com/QDC84bGEI8
— Office of the First Lady (@FirstLadyOffice) February 22, 2026
Raise your hand if you think Melania Trump looks STUNNING tonight at the Governor’s dinner pic.twitter.com/yxkerAkzDI
— MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) February 22, 2026
Trump has been in an ongoing feud with Maryland Democrat Gov. Wes Moore over the Potomac sewage spill, and disinvited him to the dinner before reinviting him. Moore knows why: discrimination.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore claims he's being excluded from the National Governors Association dinner at the White House because of racism:
— Julia 🇺🇸 (@Jules31415) February 10, 2026
"It's not lost on me that I am the only black governor in this country, and I find that to be particularly painful considering the fact that… pic.twitter.com/qpdtMiuQ0y
Unbelievable. It's got nothing to do with race and everything to do with Moore being an unapologetic Democrat who criticizes Trump every chance he gets. You reap what you sow.
There was plenty of back-and-forth talk throughout Saturday about which Democrats would come and which wouldn’t, but according to the Associated Press, not a single one could be spotted:
When the dinner finally rolled around, no Democrats were spotted in the room. Enjoying the black-tie affair, with tall candles arranged on tables, were just top administration officials and Republican governors.
MORE: Watch: Maryland to 'Reap the Consequences' of Dem Governor Wes Moore's Political Stunt
The D.C. Sewer Catastrophe Is Part of the Deconstructionist Plot
Trump didn't mention Moore's or Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger's names in his comments, but it was clear who he was talking about:
In brief remarks, Trump joked that state leaders “look in that mirror and say, I should be president, not him.”
The president didn’t criticize any Democrats by name, but he blamed two states led by Democratic governors when he mentioned a sewage spill in the Potomac River near Washington.
“We have to clean up some mess that Maryland and Virginia have left us,” Trump said, adding that “it’s unbelievable what they can do with incompetence.”
The ruptured pipe is part of a Washington-based utility that’s federally regulated and under the oversight of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The dinner is ongoing as of this writing. RedState will keep you posted if anything else develops.
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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