So here's a story about political norms colliding with executive prerogative. The National Governors Association has canceled its annual White House meeting after President Donald Trump decided to invite only Republican governors, abandoning what's been a reliably bipartisan tradition.

Breaking With Tradition

The NGA serves as the collective voice of state leaders across party lines, and its White House gathering has historically brought governors together to meet with the president regardless of political affiliation. That's the whole point, really.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) announced Monday that the NGA would no longer facilitate the event, according to the Associated Press. The decision came after reports surfaced that Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), who happens to be the nation's only Black governor and serves as NGA vice chair, along with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D), weren't on the invitation list.

Democratic Response

The selective guest list didn't exactly go over well. Eighteen Democratic governors, including leaders from powerhouse states like California, New York, and Illinois, declared they would boycott the White House dinner scheduled during the Feb. 19-21 NGA meeting.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker made his position clear earlier, saying he wouldn't attend the White House dinner and urging his Republican counterparts to follow suit.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the approach in straightforward terms: "It's also the president's home, and he can invite whomever he wants to dinners and events here at the White House."

Technically true, though tradition usually carries some weight in these matters.