The first state dinner at the White House of President Joe Biden’s administration on Thursday drew big names in fashion, entertainment, politics and business, who helped win French President Emmanuel Macron and the return of high-performing DC events after the pandemic to celebrate.
There were kisses everywhere as the Bidens stepped onto the north portico to welcome the Macrons to the evening’s celebrations at the White House — Jill Biden in a strapless navy blue dress, Brigitte Macron in a high-necked ivory one.
Jill Biden’s open invitation as the foursome walked in: “Enjoy the evening.”
Other guests trickled in through a side entrance and seemed interested in just that. First to arrive: Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, followed by Governor John Carney, representing Biden’s home state of Delaware.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus dashed past the press, pausing only to say yes, she’d been to a state dinner before and it was all “very exciting.” Late-night TV host Stephen Colbert also joined as guests made their way through the White House before heading outside to a heated marquee on the South Lawn.
Shoe designer Christian Louboutin – who wears a crystal bolo tie – was asked how many people would be wearing his shoes for the night and wouldn’t hazard a guess, saying: “I have no idea.” Vogue editor Anna Wintour was also among those more than 300 guests expected.
Family made the cut, too: Biden’s adult children, Hunter and Ashley, and his sister, Valerie Biden, were on the guest list.
Other attendees: Good Morning America host Robin Roberts, actors Jennifer Garner and Ariana DeBose, and singer John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen. Garner was among those wearing velvet, a popular choice on a night when temperatures hovered in the 30s.
Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was in attendance, as was Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who hopes to succeed Pelosi.
The first Republican to arrive was Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who laughed when told she was the first member of the GOP to show up and vowed, “I’m sure there will be others.” “
Coming through, McCarthy was asked how he felt about attending a dinner with Hunter Biden, whom Republicans are keen to investigate when they take control of the House of Representatives in January. “I’m having dinner with my mom and I’m going to have a great time,” he said.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms stopped to run a small business ahead of the Georgia Senate runoff, where Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is seeking re-election, and declared, “I think it’s going to be a great night for Georgia on Tuesday … I just have to make sure people keep showing up.”
With the tent set and tables set for the big dinner, host Jill Biden took her French counterpart and colleague to a language museum earlier in the day to highlight their mutual interest in learning and their growing friendship.
“We’re friends,” Brigitte Macron said as she and Biden shook hands at Planet Word, a museum dedicated to words and language.
“We’re friends,” Biden repeated, before repeating that they were friends.
The declaration of friendship fit the occasion. A state dinner is a high diplomatic honor, one that the United States bestows only on its closest allies, like France, one of America’s oldest.
The wives had their museum trip while their husbands chatted at the White House. Brigitte Macron is a former French literature and theater teacher; Jill Biden continues to teach English and writing at a community college in Virginia.
The invited guests began to make their way into the White House as the sun faded, dressed to impress and excited to say they played a small part in history — the first state dinner hosted by the Bidens.
Maine lobster poached in butter, beef with shallot jam and American cheese are on the menu for the red, white and blue themed dinner. Dessert is orange chiffon cake with roasted pears and crème fraiche ice cream. American sparkling wine is served with the toast.
Guests dine on rented dishes, as place settings from the White House china collection are not allowed to be removed from the executive mansion.
“The design of this dinner was inspired by the shared colors of our flags, red, white and blue, and our shared values of freedom and democracy, equality and camaraderie,” Jill Biden said Wednesday. “These form the foundation upon which our enduring friendship was built.”
The glittering party celebrating US-France relations takes place in a heated pavilion on the South Lawn. Guests took trolleys down from the White House to be seated at a mix of square and rectangular tables with dark blue silk towels, red candles and arrangements of red, white and blue flowers, including white irises, the official flower of France.
Post-dinner entertainment was provided by Jon Batiste, a Grammy Award-winning New Orleans native who was most recently the bandleader and musical director of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Batiste tweeted about his role on Thursday.
The White House has not held a state dinner since September 2019, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has put a damper on gatherings with large numbers of people.
But entertainment is back in the White House.
Thursday’s dinner follows Biden’s granddaughter’s wedding last month on the South Lawn with 250 guests. And in December, tens of thousands of people will stream through the White House, including tourists and others invited to nearly a month of holiday receptions.
White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford said 200 live lobsters were shipped from Maine on Tuesday. Some conservation groups are asking the White House to serve Maine lobsters, citing concerns about the threat to rare North Atlantic right whales from the gear used to catch lobsters. Gear entanglement is one of the greatest threats to whales.
The White House initially did not comment on the environmental concerns.
French President Emmanuel Macron won re-election, sparking protests in the streets of Paris.
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