Maine Governor Janet Mills says she will not be attending a meeting on Friday between governors and President Donald Trump after all.
Mills is joining multiple other Democratic governors boycotting the event.
On Feb. 6, President Trump initially said he would only be inviting Republican governors to the meeting. The White House then walked back Trump’s comments and said all are invited except for Gov. Wes Moore and Gov. Jared Polis.
Also read: Gov. Mills joins 17 Democratic governors in boycott after White House snubs
The National Governors Association (NGA), which typically facilitated the meeting, said it will no longer include the White House meeting in their official program.
On Feb. 10, Gov. Mills said she was among other Democratic governors boycotting the White House meeting.
At last year’s event at the White House, Governor Mills said to President Trump “see you in court” when he threatened to withhold federal money over transgender athletes participating in girls’ sports in the state.
On Feb. 13, Governor Mills said she planned to attend the meeting after the initial snub, saying in part:
“I am planning to attend the annual NGA business meeting at the White House, ready to stand up for our state and Maine people.”
However, Mills announced on Friday that she would not be attending the meeting after all. She said other Democratic governors have elected not to attend as well.
Mills released the following statement:
“I want to address the very serious issues facing Maine people – issues that, I believe, have been made worse by the Trump Administration – but it’s become increasingly clear that the President is not serious about hosting a bipartisan meeting of the nation’s governors or hearing these concerns, which is why the NGA, in a significant move, has withdrawn its support for the traditional meeting. Like many Democratic governors, I will not attend an event that has turned into an unproductive vanity project for the President.”
