Maryland Governor Wes Moore responded forcefully to remarks by President Donald Trump after being excluded from an upcoming National Governors Association dinner and related White House events, asserting that the president does not determine his worthiness and declining any invitation under current conditions.

The exchange took place during a televised town hall hosted by CBS News.

President Trump had announced invitations to the annual governors’ gathering in Washington but stated that Moore and Colorado Governor Jared Polis were “not worthy” of attending the White House dinner.

Moore, who serves as vice chair of the bipartisan governors’ association, said he would work with anyone to advance the interests of Maryland but would not submit to what he described as personal insults.

He emphasized that his sense of worth is determined by his constituents and his faith, not by presidential opinion.

Speaking before a live audience, Moore reiterated that he remains open to collaboration with federal officials when it benefits Maryland residents.

However, he declined the dinner invitation, stating that if the purpose of the meeting was to engage in name-calling, his response was clear: “Nah.

I’m good.”

The dispute has highlighted broader tensions between several Democratic governors and the Trump administration.

A number of Democratic state leaders signaled they would boycott the White House dinner in protest of Moore’s exclusion, marking an unusual rupture in the traditionally bipartisan National Governors Association proceedings.

Moore’s remarks underscored his positioning as an independent state leader willing to engage across party lines while rejecting what he characterized as unnecessary political theatrics at the federal level.