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[00:00:00] But one of the main events during the [00:00:01] National Governor's Association winter [00:00:03] meeting is the traditionally bipartisan [00:00:05] gathering at the White House. This year [00:00:08] was a little tense with the president [00:00:10] originally saying no Democrats were [00:00:12] going to be invited, then relented but [00:00:14] said all but two will be invited. Left [00:00:17] out there, Colorado Democratic Governor [00:00:19] Jared Polus and Maryland Governor Wes [00:00:21] Moore were the ones not invited. Here's [00:00:24] Kentucky Democratic Governor Andy Basher [00:00:27] on the controversy. The president has [00:00:29] just turned it into drama, inviting and [00:00:32] disinviting others. It no longer looks [00:00:34] like it's going to be productive at all. [00:00:36] At this point, I'm not going. If you're [00:00:38] not going to invite all the Democratic [00:00:40] governors, this chair of the DGA isn't [00:00:42] going to be there. [00:00:44] >> Governor Metmier, are you going? [00:00:46] >> I'm not going. I I agree with Governor [00:00:48] Basher. It's shameful. The whole point [00:00:50] of the dinner is for us to put our [00:00:52] partisan rhetoric aside. Let's talk [00:00:54] about results for the country. Let's sit [00:00:56] down the way Governor Armstrong and I [00:00:58] do. Let's sit down the way Kirsten and [00:00:59] his wife and Laura and my wife do and [00:01:02] talk as Americans and work together. [00:01:04] When you say I like you, but I don't [00:01:06] like you, that's not acceptable. In [00:01:08] addition for the president who tweeted [00:01:11] this week about how great Jesse Jackson [00:01:14] was and honoring his memory. The day [00:01:16] before that, he disinvites or refuses to [00:01:19] invite the only black governor in the [00:01:21] United States to his house for dinner [00:01:23] for no apparent reason. It's truly [00:01:26] disrespectful. I I would think that no [00:01:28] governor should go. Not Democrat, not [00:01:30] Republican. [00:01:30] >> Governor Armstrong, do Should you [00:01:32] decline the invitation? [00:01:34] >> Absolutely not. When we get invited to [00:01:35] the White House, we go. Uh I was I I [00:01:38] used to I'm I'm not a huge fan of the [00:01:40] Christmas parties. Uh I just would [00:01:42] rather get home. And my wife, even under [00:01:44] President Biden, when you're invited to [00:01:46] the White House, you go to the White [00:01:47] House. Uh everybody has that. I actually [00:01:50] think this has a little This is a little [00:01:52] more like Congress. I think everybody's [00:01:54] winning because they're all talking to [00:01:55] different audiences. Uh I think the [00:01:57] Kentucky governor, the Maryland [00:01:58] governor, and you might not like the [00:02:00] reasons, but they are in a fight right [00:02:01] now. Uh there's a sewage line issue. [00:02:04] They obviously have some redistricting [00:02:06] issues going on in Maryland at home. I [00:02:07] think I think this reminds me a little [00:02:09] bit more of how the partisanship worked [00:02:11] in Congress. I think the White House is [00:02:13] doing what they're doing, and I think [00:02:15] the governors who are responding are [00:02:17] talking to a different audience [00:02:18] necessarily than President Trump is. Is [00:02:20] it distracting though from your mission [00:02:22] here as governors in Washington? [00:02:24] >> I don't think so. I mean, I think it's I [00:02:26] mean, we like to take down the [00:02:27] temperature amongst each other, but it's [00:02:29] still a partisan town. It's still [00:02:31] Washington. It's still going to that [00:02:32] stuff's going to play. I mean, two of [00:02:34] the three governors we're talking about [00:02:36] are very much being talked about as next [00:02:38] presidential candidates for for your [00:02:40] party in uh two years. And I think if I [00:02:44] was if I was going to run in a [00:02:45] Democratic primary, this is a fight I'd [00:02:47] want to