Why a conservative GOP governor dreaded a call from 'irate' Trump

Conservative Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt was recently getting ready to start a press conference when, according to Wall Street Journal reporter Ken Thomas, he got a phone call from someone he didn't want to hear from: President Donald Trump.

Trump, Thomas reports, was angry because fellow Republican Stitt — who chairs the National Governors Association — had defended two Democratic governors Trump wanted to ban from an upcoming White House event.

An irate Trump, according to Thomas, told the outgoing Oklahoma governor, "This is the White House. I can invite whomever I want."

The 53-year-old Stitt was first elected governor of deep-red Oklahoma in 2018 and reelected in 2022. And with Stitt on his way out in January 2027, Oklahoma Republicans are seeking a gubernatorial candidate for the 2026 midterms.

Although Stitt isn't a Never Trumper, tensions between him and Trump have been escalating — and Trump is attacking Stitt as a "RINO" (Republican In Name Only) on his Truth Social platform.

"Trump's tense exchange with Stitt, which was followed by critical social-media posts about the governor, is emblematic of the tightrope Stitt has been walking as the head of the bipartisan organization of governors," Thomas reports. "Stitt has gently pushed back on some of Trump's actions, raising concerns that the president's muscular use of federal power is stepping on states' rights. But he is also trying to avoid making an enemy of the president, who maintains a tight grip on the Republican Party."

Thomas continues, "The tensions will be on display later this week when governors visit the White House for a Friday morning, (February 20) meeting, which Stitt helped organize, and a dinner with the president. Trump excluded Democratic Govs. Jared Polis of Colorado and Wes Moore of Maryland from the events, setting off days of hand-wringing within the National Governors Association over how to respond."

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