Governor Questions Exclusion From Presidential Dinner (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: I just want to understand what you think the reason is that you are being singled out, and Jared Polis, but from your perspective, why are you being excluded from this dinner?

[00:00:11] Speaker 2: Well, I have long learned that I'm not trying to get inside of the president's psyche. It's not a good use of my time. It's not lost on me that I'm the only black governor in this country. And I find that to be particularly painful, considering the fact that the president is trying to exclude me from an organization that not only all my peers have asked me to help to lead, but then also a place where I know I belong. And so I've long learned, and I've talked to the people and the children of my state, is that I'm never in a room because of someone's benevolence nor kindness. I'm not in a room because of a social experiment. I'm in the room because I belong there, and the room was incomplete until I got there.

[00:00:51] Speaker 1: You're saying that he's excluding you because of the color of your skin?

[00:00:55] Speaker 2: Well, I don't know. I can't speak to the president's intent. It's not lost on me, but I can't speak to the president's intent.