President Donald Trump came out publicly against Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Wednesday, calling him a “RINO,” but his disdain for the Republican governor has been building for years.
In 2022, Trump came to Stitt’s aid and endorsed him, helping the incumbent win a tough reelection bid. He also hosted a fundraiser for the governor at Mar-a-Lago in 2022.
Less than two years later, Stitt endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
Trump continues to hold animosity towards Stitt as a result and has expressed so privately, multiple sources told NOTUS.
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In 2024, Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin and an Oklahoma City-based donor were at Mar-a-Lago talking with Trump about hosting a fundraiser for Trump’s campaign in Oklahoma.
Mullin and the donor explained their vision for the fundraiser and expressed that they could get the other statewide elected officials involved as well, including Stitt.
Trump was asked by the donor if there was any message he could convey to Stitt on his behalf. Trump replied, “Tell the governor to go fuck himself,” according to four sources familiar with the comments.
The donor replied, “Sir, are you sure you want me to say that?” to which Trump said he wasn’t asking, he was telling him to relay that message.
It is unclear if this message was actually relayed to Stitt.
Trump went on to list the ways he had helped Stitt politically, only for the Oklahoma governor to turn around and endorse DeSantis.
Mullin’s office declined to comment. Stitt’s office did not respond to a request for comment, and the donor did not respond to requests for comment.
The White House sent NOTUS a link to Trump’s two Truth Social posts from Wednesday when reached for comment.
This week’s spat stems from an ongoing dispute over a meeting of the National Governors Association, which Stitt chairs, and the White House.
Originally the group came out and said the White House only planned to include Republican governors in the meeting. According to a source with direct knowledge of the matter, Republican governors got the invite to the event on Monday. Then on Wednesday, Stitt and Trump talked, and subsequently, all but two Democratic governors got the invite to the event, the source added.
Trump claimed that Stitt “incorrectly stated my position on the very exclusive Governors Annual Dinner and Meeting at the White House” and added that both Republican and Democratic governors were invited, save for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. In the same post, he derisively referred to Stitt as a “RINO Governor.”
Later Wednesday, Trump attacked Stitt again.
“When Kevin 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,” Trump posted. “I Endorsed him, and he won — Sorry, my cherished Oklahoma, to have done that to you! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.”
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