After accusing Gov. Kevin Stitt of misrepresenting a White House dinner invitation and branding him a “RINO,” President Donald Trump unleashed a social media barrage that drew reactions from Oklahoma gubernatorial candidates this week.
The New York Times first reported Feb. 6 that the president did not want to invite Democratic governors to an annual White House business meeting. Stitt, who was elected chairman of the National Governors Association in July, explained to governors Monday why the association pulled the Feb. 20 meeting from its winter agenda.
“NGA staff was informed that the White House intends to limit invitations to the annual business meeting, scheduled for Feb. 20, to Republican governors only,” Stitt’s letter said. “Because NGA’s 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. At this time, I am not aware of a governor who has received an invitation, and it remains unclear whether the president still plans to host the meeting.”
Stitt wrote that Trump’s action should not divide the governors.
“We cannot allow one divisive action to achieve its goal of dividing us,” Stitt said. “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. America’s governors have always been models of pragmatic leadership, and that example is most important when Washington grows distracted by politics.”
After news broke about Stitt’s comments and the NGA’s disassociation with the meeting, Trump posted Wednesday on Truth Social, calling Stitt the acronym for “Republican in name only” and explaining why two Democratic governors were not invited:
The RINO Governor of the Great State of Oklahoma, in which I won all 77 Counties, three times (The only person to do so!), incorrectly stated my position on the very exclusive Governors Annual Dinner and Meeting at the White House: “The White House intends to limit invitations to the annual business meeting, scheduled for February 20th, to Republican Governors only.” That is false! The invitations were sent to ALL Governors, other than two, who I feel are not worthy of being there. I did not invite the Governor of Colorado, who has unfairly incarcerated in solitary confinement a 73-year-old cancer stricken woman (A nine year term!), for attempting to fight Democrat Voter Fraud, plus the foul mouthed Governor Maryland, who fraudulently stated that he received military medals, A LIE, is doing a terrible job on the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and has allowed Baltimore to continue to be a Crime Disaster. I even invited the SLOB of a Governor JB Pritzker, and horrendous California Governor, Gavin Newscum, to the Dinner, despite the terrible job that they are doing. So, as usual with him, Stitt got it WRONG! The Invitations were sent out to all other Governors, Democrat and Republican. I look forward to seeing the Republican Governors, and some of the Democrat Governors who were worthy of being invited, but most of whom won’t show up. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Trump later posted twice more, first saying Stitt would have lost his 2022 reelection campaign against Republican-turned-Democrat Joy Hofmeister without Trump’s endorsement:
When Stitt, the very mediocre (at best!) RINO Governor of Oklahoma was losing his Election to a Democrat, primarily because he did a bad job, he called for my help. I Endorsed him, and he won — Sorry, my cherished Oklahoma, to have done that to you!
Thursday morning, Trump posted about Stitt again:
Remember, it was RINO Governor Kevin Stitt, of Oklahoma, who was massively behind his Opponent in his previous Election for Governor, who called me to ask for help. I Endorsed him (Barely!), and he won his Race. He then went on to modestly represent among the greatest people on Earth, the incredible Patriots of “The Sooner State,” who gave me unprecedented Voting acclimation in all three Elections, winning every County within the State, three times, and getting more Votes than anyone who has ever run for Office, including the Late, Great Ronald Reagan. In any event, we will soon have a Governor in Oklahoma who knows how to accurately write a Press Release to the Public, in this case, to state that I invited, not happily, almost all Democrat Governors to the Governor’s Dinner at the White House. Stitt, a wiseguy, knew this, but tried to get some cheap publicity by stating otherwise. Anyway, I’ll see whoever shows up at the White House, the fewer the better!
An hour later, Reese Gorman of the Washington-based news outlet NOTUS reported that Trump’s frustration with Stitt dates to 2024, when the Oklahoma governor endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary.
Asked about the situation Wednesday by KOCO’s Dacoda Wahpekeche, Stitt called it “a non-issue” and said he had just spoken with Trump.
“First off, I just got off the phone with the president before I came out here,” Stitt said. “The thing with the dinner that happens every single year at the White House with the National Governors Association, it’s all 50 governors. So all we said was, ‘Hey, the president can invite whoever he wants to the White House. The NGA is not the right facilitator if it’s going to be not every single governor.’ But I’m excited. I’ll be at the White House. I’m really pumped about going. I represent Oklahoma no matter who’s in the White House. When (former President Joe) Biden invited me to the White House, I was there. When Trump invites me to the White House — and we have great relationships.”
In his follow-up letter to governors Wednesday, Stitt said Trump had invited all governors to another meal the morning of Feb. 20.
“I am writing to inform you that President Donald J. Trump is inviting all governors of the 55 states and territories to the Friday, Feb. 20 NGA Business Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. EST,” Stitt wrote. “He was very clear in his communications with me that this is a National Governors Association’s event, and he looks forward to hosting you and hearing from governors across the country. President Trump said this was always his intention, and we have addressed the misunderstanding in scheduling.”
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Drummond: ‘McCall and Keating stand with Stitt’
With Stitt term limited, Oklahoma’s 2026 gubernatorial race is poised to be the year’s top political story in the state. The four leading Republican candidates have all courted the favor of Trump and his supporters, and each has worked with Stitt during his two terms in office — albeit with the leading candidate consistently among Stitt’s vocal critics.
Recent Sooner Survey polling shows Attorney General Gentner Drummond atop the 2026 Republican primary field with 36 percent support. Former House Speaker Charles McCall drew 14 percent support in the poll, while former Sen. Mike Mazzei and former Public Safety Secretary Chip Keating received 13 percent each. Former Sen. Jake Merrick found 5 percent support in the poll.
Drummond, who knew Stitt in Tulsa business circles long before either ran for office, has clashed with the governor repeatedly since he won the 2022 attorney general’s race over John O’Connor, the man Stitt picked over Drummond to fill the vacant position in 2021.
During his campaign against O’Connor, Drummond said Stitt had “made it very clear (…) there were conditions to that appointment,” and Drummond has since opposed Stitt — online and in court — on issues of education, mental health, tribal sovereignty, Afghan immigrants and more.
Drummond responded to Trump’s criticism of Stitt this week by siding with the president and emphasizing his opponents’ past associations with the governor.
“I am glad President Trump called Gov. Stitt out for being a RINO,” Drummond said in a statement to NonDoc on Thursday. “Gov. Stitt misrepresented the president’s invitation to the governors and has often taken baffling positions that are out of step with Oklahoma Republicans.”
On Wednesday, Drummond had posted a similar statement on social media, which spurred a rebuttal from McCall after Drummond reposted Trump’s criticism of Stitt.
Thank you, Mr. President, for calling it out.
Kevin Stitt is a RINO — and Oklahomans deserve to know it.
I stand with @realDonaldTrump.
Charles McCall and Keating stand with Stitt.
The question is simple: Will they admit it and tell us where they stand?
America First. https://t.co/sfAA2JZo5E
— Gentner Drummond (@gentnerdrummond) February 11, 2026
McCall’s account replied to Drummond’s post:
Gentner, stop the charade. You’re not a Trump supporter, you’re a Biden donor. You backed the Lincoln project, you took money from the architect of the Mueller report during this CAMPAIGN. Oklahomans won’t be fooled by born again conservatives. As Governor I’ll withdraw from the liberal NGA but fully participate in the Republican Governor’s Association. Gentner, would you make the same pledge?
Drummond replied, hinting at McCall’s strong alignment with Stitt during tax cut talks and budget negotiations during his final year as House speaker in 2024:
I’ve never donated to Joe Biden. That’s a lie. I’ve sued Biden 17 times and stood with President Trump when it counted. You’re attacking me because you can’t defend standing with Kevin Stitt. Will you stand with @realDonaldTrump or are you standing with Kevin Stitt?
Drummond posted on his account again Thursday, saying Keating and McCall “can’t be bothered to take a position.”
“I am the candidate in this race who truly stands with President Trump,” Drummond said. “I have contributed $75,000 to his campaign and always stood with him as AG. I have been unafraid to call out Gov. Stitt when he’s wrong. Charles and Chip both want Stitt’s help so much that they refuse to hold him accountable.”
McCall did not respond to that post from Drummond, but he did side with Trump over Stitt in his own post, which his campaign sent to NonDoc in response to questions about the situation:
As always, I stand with President @realDonaldTrump. Oklahomans expect their governor to stand with President Trump and the America First, Oklahoma First agenda — not to make excuses for liberal Democrats. Governor Stitt should be helping President Trump, not running interference for a bunch of radicals who want to destroy this president.
I’m the only gubernatorial candidate who has supported President Trump all three times. If the National Governors Association keeps giving extremist Democrats a platform to attack conservative leadership, I’ll pull Oklahoma out until they fix it. It’s that simple.
Keating, who served as Stitt’s secretary of public safety for two years, said in a statement to NonDoc that his opponents are “office-hoppers” and that he was confused why Stitt would “appease radical blue state governors.”
“My opponents in this race were never known as ‘Trump guys’ before they announced for governor. These office-hoppers are only loyal to their next election, not to the Oklahomans who elected them and overwhelmingly voted for President Trump all three times. I stand with President Trump and look forward to working closely with him on delivering conservative results,” Keating said. “While I don’t know why Gov. Stitt agreed to be chairman of the National Governors Association and try to appease radical blue state governors who work every day to obstruct our president, I’m committing that when elected governor, I will end all taxpayer funded dues and fees to NGA like other conservative governors have done. Oklahomans don’t want to see people they voted for cave to the radical left. That’s not me and that’s not President Trump.”
A spokesman for Mazzei, who also formerly served in Stitt’s Cabinet, declined to comment on the Trump-Stitt tiff.
“Mike is focused on clearly communicating his message of a better economic path forward for every day Oklahomans,” said Hudson Talley.
The lone Democrat who has announced a 2026 gubernatorial campaign, House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, said during a press availability Thursday that she appreciated Stitt standing up for Democratic governors.
“I am thankful that the governor recognized [what is wrong with] leaving out governors — who are democratic governors — out of a conversation that historically has included all governors,” said Munson (D-OKC). “In terms of what the president is doing and calling him names, this is the lack of leadership we have seen, and it’s really unfortunate. I would prefer — and I hope what the governor will do — is that [instead of] toddling back and forth with him is to focus on issues that are important to Oklahomans and keep his focus here in the state of Oklahoma.”
