First Trump State Dinner Brings Billionaires And Administration Officials





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





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








Unlike the starstudded state golden goose outlet dinners of President Barack Obama (think Ryan Reynolds meeting Sasha Obama), the majority of guests were administration officials and businesspeople.








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








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 Roberto Cavalli. Linton got into hot water in the past for a viral social media post about her fashion choices.





The dinner





With nods to https://www.mrgoldengoose.com/ 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 his wife for "making this an evening we will always cherish and remember" and celebrating the centuries of friendship between the United States and France.