President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted the annual White House Governors Dinner on Saturday night during the National Governors Association winter meeting — and reporters noticed something immediately: Democrats apparently had better things to do than show up.

Those who did attend didn’t seem bothered. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth kicked off the evening’s events, and the atmosphere was upbeat despite the empty chairs where Democrats might have been sitting. Turns out dinner still works when only one side shows up.

In brief remarks, Trump joked that governors look in the mirror and think, “I should be president, not him,” a line that drew laughs without naming names. He also avoided calling out any Democratic governors directly, though he did point the finger at two Democrat-led states when talking about a sewage spill into the Potomac River near Washington.

“We have to clean up some mess that Maryland and Virginia have left us,” Trump said, adding that “it’s unbelievable what they can do with incompetence.” The broken pipe is part of a utility regulated at the federal level and overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency, which makes the situation even more impressive — in the wrong way.

Trump didn’t mention Maryland Gov. Wes Moore or Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger by name, but the message was obvious enough. Even without direct callouts, the president made clear he expects states to handle their responsibilities instead of sending the consequences downstream.

As of this writing, the dinner is still underway, with no sign of Democratic governors changing their minds and showing up late. But judging from the tone inside the White House, the evening didn’t miss a beat. Sometimes leadership means hosting the party — even when the critics decide not to attend.