Trump apologizes for endorsing 'RINO' Oklahoma governor

President Donald Trump has publicly apologized for ever endorsing Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, calling him a "RINO", or Republican in Name Only".

It stems from drama surrounding the National Governor Association's annual meeting, which Stitt chairs.

“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," proclaimed Trump on Truth Social.

The NGA said it will no longer hold a formal meeting with Trump when governors are scheduled to convene in Washington later this month, after the White House planned to invite only Republican governors.

“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,” Stitt wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press.

Trump took to Truth Social to scathe Stitt, calling him "mediocre" and that he never claimed he would not invite Democratic governors to the dinner.

“So, as usual with him, Stitt got it WRONG! The Invitations were sent out to all other Governors, Democrat and Republican,” Trump added. “I look forward to seeing the Republican Governors, and some of the Democrats Governors who were worthy of being invited, but most of whom won’t show up.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump has “discretion to invite anyone he wants to the White House."

“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,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social Post on Thursday. “Stitt, a wiseguy, knew this, but tried to get some cheap publicity by stating otherwise.

Multiple sources say there is some longstanding tension between the two, including a 2024 incident at a donor party in Florida when Trump allegedly told an Oklahoma donor to tell Stitt to “go f**k himself".