President Biden on Thursday dined alongside guests of honor French President Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte Macron at his first state dinner since taking office, a glamorous affair featuring celebrity guests, prestige fashion, and "200 lobsters from Maine," Politico reports.
The red, white, and blue-themed event was somewhat of a return to form for the White House, which temporarily ixnayed such diplomatic grandeur in the light of the pandemic. It was held under a tent on the South Lawn, to which guests were driven in a heated trolley, and also feautured rented plateware since White House china can't leave the building. The Washington Post described the vibe as Beauty and the Beast meets Game of Thrones.
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For their part, U.S. politicians appeared to play nice. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) briefly chummed it up with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy aptly declined to comment on a pending, GOP-led investigation of Hunter Biden considering the probe's intended target was in the room. "Well, I'm at dinner with my mom, so we're going to have a great time," McCarthy said.
When it came time for a toast, Biden raised his glass (apparently filled with ginger ale) and said, "Vive la France and God Bless America." Macron replied: "Long live the United States of America, long live France and long live the friendship between our two countries."
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