President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted the first state dinner of their administration at the White House on Thursday, welcoming not only French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, but more than 350 others including fashion icons, celebrities, Republicans, and Hunter Biden.
The swanky black-tie event was to include a lavish dining selection of desserts and seafood on the menu, including butter-poached Maine lobster, beef with shallot marmalade, numerous types of American cheeses, orange chiffon cake, roasted, creme fraiche ice cream, and caviar.
Both presidents and their wives posed for photos and exchanged greetings as the guests arrived at the tent erected on the South Lawn of the White House, according to a report from the Daily Mail.
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The president’s son, Hunter Biden, who was in attendance, is under a federal investigation into his tax affairs. The investigation reached a critical stage in July, and federal prosecutors are considering charges against him in relation to foreign lobbying violations, tax crimes, false statements and more.
Hunter Biden’s laptop was at the center of a Big Tech censorship campaign in 2020.
(Kevin Lamarque)
Last month, House Republican announced plans to launch an investigation into Hunter’s dealings.
President Biden waves alongside his son Hunter Biden after attending mass at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Johns Island, South Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2022.
(NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)
But that did not stop Republicans including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy from attending the dinner.
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In fact, according to the Daily Mail, McCarthy brushed off a question about any awkwardness attending the dinner with Hunter.
“I’m at a dinner with my mom so I’m going to have a great time,” he told the publication.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., and his mother Roberta McCarthy arrive for the State Dinner with President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
The list of those in attendance included Vogue editor Anna Wintour and celebrities Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Jennifer Garner, and Ariana DeBose.
The grand White House tradition of hosting foreign leaders and monarchs resumed on Thursday with the first state dinner, this time in honor of Macron.
White House dinners were put on hold during the pandemic, and with its reopening, many customs have returned.
