Jennifer Garner, John Legend attend lavish U.S. state dinner for France’s Macron By Reuters

By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden rolled out the pink carpet on Thursday for celebrities, lawmakers, and titans of business on the White Home’s first state dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron.

The dinner is the crowning social occasion of a visit geared toward exhibiting Biden’s dedication to Washington’s oldest ally whilst the 2 nations wrangle over how one can deal with Russia’s struggle in Ukraine, subsidies for U.S. merchandise and different points.

The visitor listing included actress Jennifer Garner and her daughter with Ben Affleck, Violet; singer John Legend and mannequin Chrissy Teigen; “Vogue” editor Anna Wintour; and director Baz Luhrmann.

These celebrities joined members of Biden’s Cupboard, lawmakers, and enterprise leaders together with Financial institution of America Corp (NYSE:) CEO Brian Moynihan, KKR & Co (NYSE:) Inc investor Henry Kravis and Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:) president Brad Smith.

On Thursday evening, Biden and his spouse, Jill, welcomed the Macrons again to the White Home for the dinner after diplomatic conferences earlier within the day.

Each presidents wore tuxedos. Jill wore an Oscar de la Renta lace costume and dangly silver earrings. Macron’s spouse, Brigitte, was clad in Louis Vuitton.

Lower than two weeks after Biden’s granddaughter was married on White Home grounds, the occasion introduced a contact of pizzazz to the businesslike presidential residence, whose social calendar was undermined by precautions taken within the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visitors strutted alongside the pink carpet in entrance of reporters to a reception within the White Home earlier than taking a trolley bus to a pavilion on the South Garden for the formal dinner round 10 p.m.

There they have been handled to toasts, music from Jon Batiste, Chardonnay from the Napa Valley and cheeses from Oregon, California and Wisconsin. Some 200 Maine lobsters have been flown in for the candle-lit event.

“It may be hearth,” Batiste informed reporters of his efficiency as he arrived.

The lavish Washington dinner is one in every of few occasions that deliver collectively individuals together with the president’s son Hunter and Kevin McCarthy, who leads a Republican congressional delegation that has vowed to research his enterprise dealings.

Macron arrived in Washington on Tuesday for his second state go to to the USA for the reason that French chief took workplace in 2017.

Biden, 80, and Macron, 44, have had many conferences at worldwide gatherings however this was the longest time they’ve spent collectively.

“Tonight we have fun the enduring alliance between France and the USA,” Biden mentioned as company clinked their champagne flutes. “Vive la France and God bless America.”

Macron added that the 2 nations come from “the identical values” of “we, the individuals.”

(Reporting Steve Holland and Jeff Mason; Writing by Trevor Hunnicutt; Enhancing by Gerry Doyle and Lincoln Feast)