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First Trump State Dinner Brings Billionaires And Administration Officials

 
 
 

There's arguably nothing grander in the nation's capital than a state dinner.

The red carpet gets rolled out, the silverware is shined, and the coveted guest list is winnowed down.

State dinners are intricate diplomatic dances filled with pageantry and symbolism — and they take months to plan. The world is watching and every choice from the china pattern to the flowers is scrutinized.

First lady Melania Trump carefully prepped for Tuesday night's state dinner honoring French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, the first of the Trump administration and a big moment for a first lady who prefers to keep a low profile.

The White House released this behind-the-scenes video of the first lady's preparation the day before the dinner.

YouTube

The guests

The evening got underway around 6 p.m., as the first of 120 guests arrived, posing for the cameras in front of a wall of French and American flags.

Among the first guests to arrive were Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen. Reporters asked Mrs. Pence how Melania was doing in her role. The vice president answered instead, saying simply "breathtaking."

Other familiar Trump administration faces included Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, Chief of Staff John Kelly, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, White House aide Stephen Miller, and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

When asked if he'd rather sit next to President Trump or Melania at dinner, McCarthy responded, "I hope to get to sit next to my wife."

The only Democratic official spotted at the dinner was Gov. John Bel Edwards, D-La. — quite possibly in attendance because of his state's French heritage. His fellow Louisianian Sen. John Kennedy joked he would thank the French for selling Louisiana to the United States.

Unlike the star-studded state dinners of former President Barack Obama (think Ryan Reynolds meeting Sasha Obama), the majority of guests were administration officials and business people.

 
 

High-profile guests included: Apple CEO Tim Cook; Apple VP Lisa Jackson (who served as former President Obama's EPA chief); media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his wife Jerry Hall; Chairman and CEO of Blackstone Group Stephen Schwarzman; billionaire co-founder and co-executive chairman of The Carlyle Group David Rubenstein; President and CEO of Lockheed Martin Marillyn Hewson; Goldman Sachs Partner John F. W. Rogers; and CEO of IBM Virginia Rometty.

Also invited were French celebrity chef Guy Savoy, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and two winter Olympians who had their medals handy for the cameras.

The Macrons arrived last, to the tune of a drum roll, and greeted the Trumps at the doorway under the North Portico. They embraced before taking photographs and then heading inside.

The fashion

Melania wore Chanel haute couture, a gold dress hand-painted with silver and embroidered with crystals for the evening; her French counterpart wore Louis Vuitton (Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH was one of the French guests in attendance).

Ivanka Trump, introduced for the evening as "The Honorable Ivanka Trump" wore a light pink tulle gown with black polka dots. Asked if she spoke French, she smiled and said, "Oui, un petit peu."

But this is D.C. after all, not Hollywood. Most guests couldn't answer the shouted questions of "who" they were wearing.

 
 

One notable exception to that rule is Louise Linton, the wife of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who wore a silver draped dress. She didn't hesitate when asked about the maker — Italian fashion designer Cavalli. Linton got into hot water in the past for a viral social media post about her fashion choices.

The dinner

With nods to her predecessors, first lady Melania opted to use the Clinton and George W. Bush china for the dinner service, to match the color scheme of cream and gold.

President Trump started the dinner by making a toast — first thanking Melania for "making this an evening we will always cherish and remember" and celebrating the centuries of friendship between the United States and France.

 
 

"May our friendship grow even deeper," the president said. "May our kinship grow even stronger. And may our sacred liberty never die."

French President Macron echoed the president's comments with his own toast in French, raising his glass to the "unbreakable friendship between France and the United States."

With that, the cameras left and guests enjoyed a dinner showcasing traditional American cuisine with French influences. The menu included greens from the White House garden, lamb, New Orleans-style jambalaya and a nectarine tart with crème fraîche ice cream for dessert.

And, of course, a meal among the French wouldn't be complete without a few bottles of Pinot Noir.

https://www.npr.org/2018/04/24...nistration-officials

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'Incredible' Melania Wins Praise for Trump's First State Dinner
She seemed 'wholly at ease' at glitzy event
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 25, 2018 4:02 AM CDT
Updated Apr 25, 2018 6:30 AM CDT
63 comments Comments
 
Shrink
President Trump, left, and French President Emmanuel Macron share a toast during the state dinner at the White House in Washington on Tuesday.   (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

(NEWSER) – "To America's absolutely incredible first lady, thank you for making this an evening we will always cherish and remember," President Trump said at his first White House state dinner Tuesday night—and he was far from the only one praising Melania Trump. The first lady, who wore a silver Chanel haute couture gown, seemed "wholly at ease" at a glitzy event that had been seen as her moment in the spotlight, the Washington Postreports. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were the guests of honor at the dinner. The White House stressed that Melania Trump had a role in planning every aspect of the event, including the menu and the table settings, the AP reports.

The 123 attendees included Apple CEO Tim Cook, Henry Kissinger, two Winter Olympians, Rupert Murdoch, and his wife, Jerry Hall, CNN reports. Numerous Trump administration officials were also in attendance, though not Scott Pruitt, Jeff Sessions, or Ben Carson. Louisiana Gov. Bel Edwards was one of the only Democrats at the event. The three-course menu included rack of lamb and Louisiana dish jambalaya, and the Washington National Opera provided after-dinner entertainment. In his toast, Macron hailed the "unbreakable friendship" between the US and France and noted: "On both sides of the ocean some two years ago, very few would have bet on us being here together today." (Two gate-crashers made their way into the first of former President Obama's 13 state dinners.)

http://www.newser.com/story/25...n-the-spotlight.html

FM

Tim Cook, Rupert Murdoch headline Trump's 1st state dinner guest list

Washington (CNN)It wasn't the star-studded red carpet of the Obama years, but a veritable who's who of politicians and special guests of honor made their way to the White House Tuesday evening for the Trump administration's first state dinner, with France.

Apple CEO Tim Cook arrived with Apple Vice President Lisa Jackson, who served the Obama administration as Environmental Protection Agency chief.
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch was joined by his wife, Jerry Hall.
Rupert Murdoch and his wife Jerry Hall arrive for the White House State Dinner.
 
 
 
Olympic curler John Shuster and women's hockey player Meghan Duggan passed through, their gold medals in tow.
"Do you travel with those everywhere?" one reporter asked.
"Most places, yes," Duggan said, laughing.
Olympians John Shuster and Meghan Duggan.
 
Arriving in a hall adorned with soft white florals and greenery on a trellis, the guests, in black tie attire, passed by reporters and television cameras on their way to the main event.
Melania Trump masters the moment
 
A tuxedo-clad House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy stopped to tout the "very strong" relationship between the United States and France.
"This is the first state dinner and the time that they have spent together, I think they have built a really strong bond," he said.
Other notable guests included members of Louisiana's congressional delegation and its Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, billionaire David Rubinstein, Maine Gov. Paul LePage, French Ambassador to the US Gerard Araud and other administration officials.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner passed through together. Trump said, "Oui," she spoke "un petit peu" of French.
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.
 
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, in a glamorous black lace gown, her hair in an updo, joked that she wasn't taking questions.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and his wife, Louise Linton, were among the attendees. Linton, clad in a slinky silver Cavalli gown, told reporters she was excited for "everything French."
Other Cabinet secretaries included Defense Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, as well as national security adviser John Bolton and National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow.
Chief of Staff John Kelly and his wife Karen.
 
Cabinet secretaries not in attendance included embattled Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt; Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who was recently under investigation by his department's inspector general regarding reassignment of senior executive staffers and his use of military and private aircraft; Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, who recently faced criticism for spending; and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who is a frequent subject of President Donald Trump's public frustration. Secretaries Alex Azar, Alexander Acosta, Rick Perry, Sonny Perdue and Betsy DeVos were also not in attendance. The White House did not comment on whether they had been invited to the intimate event.
French first lady Brigitte Macron wore Louis Vuitton.
 
Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted the Macrons at the front door of the White House as they arrived from nearby Blair House.
The first lady paid homage to France with a Chanel Haute Couture gown, hand-painted with silver and embroidered with crystals and sequins.
She held the President's hand as the couples walked inside.
The dinner will be in the White House State Dining Room, which can accommodate between 100 and 150 guests. The menu will feature American cuisine with nuances of French influence.
This is the 14th time the White House has hosted France for a state dinner, per the White House Historical Association.
CNN's Kate Bennett contributed to this report.

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FM
Last edited by Former Member
yuji22 posted:
Leonora posted:

Love Brigitte Macron's Vuitton dress!

Len, you have sharp eyes and great taste.

1524617583-state-dinner-melania-brigitte

Brigitte looks regal in that Vuitton dress. I'll get something similar in a different color for my son's wedding.

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FM
Last edited by Former Member

Trump is aware of his Orangutan ugly looks and was very uncomfortable standing next to the dashing, handsome, young French President, so he pretended that Macron had dandruff on his suit. WHAT AN ASS!!!!

Nehru
VishMahabir posted:

Any non-white people invited to this big party????

Probably not! This is what Trump means by Making America Great Again and people like yugi bow to them...yes massa...ok massa.

cain
skeldon_man posted:
yuji22 posted:

Was Brother Kaz not invited ?

Only one Democrat was invited, I was guessing that it was him.

Bai, you see the one video where Melania is fighting off Spanky holding her hand?

http://centurylink.net/player/...e-5min/category/news

And perhaps, it will continue forever for DodoDonald.

FM
cain posted:
VishMahabir posted:

Any non-white people invited to this big party????

Probably not! This is what Trump means by Making America Great Again and people like yugi bow to them...yes massa...ok massa.

Bows extremely low.

FM
yuji22 posted:

The two CNN antimen were not invited. Watch them lash out in jealousy, especially the New Jerry Springer.

For a guy who profess to be religious worships a man that molested women and once again I love your constant admiration for Gays, I guess all in keeping with your spiritual upbringing.

K
Leonora posted:
yuji22 posted:
Leonora posted:

Love Brigitte Macron's Vuitton dress!

Len, you have sharp eyes and great taste.

1524617583-state-dinner-melania-brigitte

Brigitte looks regal in that Vuitton dress. I'll get something similar in a different color for my son's wedding.

Sober up.  That's way out of your fashion league!

Bibi Haniffa
cain posted:

Bibiski itchin for a fite.

Nah.  I'm just getting even.  I have been reading the schittt she was writing about me.  I tried to ignore it for a few days.  But today I decided that I won't tolerate it anymore.

Bibi Haniffa
Last edited by Bibi Haniffa

I noticed that Ray has been giving his friends a free pass lately. Some of them are going F this and F that and are getting away with it.

FM
Last edited by Former Member

I don't like to fight with women but her taunting was relentless especially when she said I ran Jagdeo's campaign which is a nasty lie.  It's much more fun fighting with the boys.  But it gets boring.  Few people here understand and can argue policy in a decent debate without the crab dance.

Bibi Haniffa

The AFC/PNC crew are agitated and are attacking the PPP supporters and when the PPP supporters fight back, PNC fan boy Ray bans the PPP supporters. 

We must call a spade a spade. 

FM
Last edited by Former Member
yuji22 posted:

I noticed that Ray has been giving his friends a free pass lately. Some of them are going F this and F that and are getting away with it.

Accept the fact that this is a PNC forum.  The people who get banned are mostly PPP supporters.  The FBI will shut down this site one day.  They are reading it.

Bibi Haniffa
Last edited by Bibi Haniffa
Bibi Haniffa posted:
yuji22 posted:

I noticed that Ray has been giving his friends a free pass lately. Some of them are going F this and F that and are getting away with it.

Accept the fact that this is a PNC forum.  The people who get banned are mostly PPP supporters.  The FBI will shut down this site one day.  They are reading it.

GNI made the biggest mistake when they appointed admitted PNC fan boy Ray as admin. He just targeted PPP supporters and are banning them one by one. 

His AFC/PNC friends who are going F this and F that are having a free pass.

Ray needs to be impartial and stop this nonsense of constantly banning PPP supporters. He needs to end his bias and remain impartial, that is what an admin is supposed to do.

Amral needs to have a chat with him. GNI has lost it's balance.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Bibi Haniffa posted:
yuji22 posted:

I noticed that Ray has been giving his friends a free pass lately. Some of them are going F this and F that and are getting away with it.

Accept the fact that this is a PNC forum.  The people who get banned are mostly PPP supporters.  The FBI will shut down this site one day.  They are reading it.

That's not fair to Admin.  Back in the day when the two us were a belly-to-belly tag team here, several of my former AFC friends on GNI said the only reason we could do and say what we want is because this was a PPP site.

Bear in mind, this site tightened up rules after YOU complained to "Uncle Odean" that your real name and personal information was being thrown around on the site.  This was a good development thanks to Bibi Haniffa!

FM

Amral is always fair, Ray needs to have a long, deep look at his banning record. If he bans, then the rules must be applied to the same standard of impartiality.

Nothing is wrong in enforcing rules and no one is above the rules but the bias of enforcing by targeting is the issue at hand.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
VishMahabir posted:

Any non-white people invited to this big party????

Brother Vish, take a close look at Obama's cabinet. What is wrong with THIS Picture ?

President_Barack_Obama_with_full_cabinet_09-10-09

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FM
Bibi Haniffa posted:
yuji22 posted:

I noticed that Ray has been giving his friends a free pass lately. Some of them are going F this and F that and are getting away with it.

Accept the fact that this is a PNC forum.  The people who get banned are mostly PPP supporters.  The FBI will shut down this site one day.  They are reading it.

Stop your nonsense.

Chief

I will not say tha Ray Ban Ppp supporters but what I can advise is for Ray to stop banning and stop closing threads. He has certainly made some bad calls especially when closing threads.

Chief
Bibi Haniffa posted:

The FBI will shut down this site one day.  They are reading it.

it tek till NOW for you to realize that the anti-Black race hate spread by that enduring cohort of not-very-smart 'PPP' Indians posting here has likely been noticed by law enforcement?

hmmm?

oh wait . . . is Burnham make dem 'do it'

never mind

FM
Last edited by Former Member
yuji22 posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
yuji22 posted:

I noticed that Ray has been giving his friends a free pass lately. Some of them are going F this and F that and are getting away with it.

Accept the fact that this is a PNC forum.  The people who get banned are mostly PPP supporters.  The FBI will shut down this site one day.  They are reading it.

GNI made the biggest mistake when they appointed admitted PNC fan boy Ray as admin. He just targeted PPP supporters and are banning them one by one. 

His AFC/PNC friends who are going F this and F that are having a free pass.

Ray needs to be impartial and stop this nonsense of constantly banning PPP supporters. He needs to end his bias and remain impartial, that is what an admin is supposed to do.

Amral needs to have a chat with him. GNI has lost it's balance.

PLease name the PPP supporters that were banned.

Mitwah
Chief posted:

I will not say tha Ray Ban Ppp supporters but what I can advise is for Ray to stop banning and stop closing threads. He has certainly made some bad calls especially when closing threads.

Mitwah was banned, so was Redux, so was KishanB!

FM
Bibi Haniffa posted:
yuji22 posted:

I noticed that Ray has been giving his friends a free pass lately. Some of them are going F this and F that and are getting away with it.

  The FBI will shut down this site one day.  They are reading it.

This site is of little consequence to the FBI unless personal threats or ISIS/AlQaeda propaganda was being spread.  Coolie and Black Guyanese cuss each other, no one cares!  FBI has bigger fish to fry!!

Relax yuhself dawling!

FM
Bibi Haniffa posted:
yuji22 posted:

I noticed that Ray has been giving his friends a free pass lately. Some of them are going F this and F that and are getting away with it.

Accept the fact that this is a PNC forum.  The people who get banned are mostly PPP supporters.  The FBI will shut down this site one day.  They are reading it.

That's not  true. 

Mitwah

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