Trump brings in the billionaires for his first state dinner

Gone were the musicians and actors, the chefs and journalists. In, for President Donald Trump’s first state dinner, were businesspeople — lots and lots of them.

There was Stephen Schwarzman, the billionaire chief of Blackstone and Trump confidant, and David Rubenstein, the Carlyle Group co-founder and Washington philanthropist. Luxury goods magnate Bernard Arnault was in attendance, as were Apple CEO Tim Cook, Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson, KKR co-founder Henry Kravis, 21st Century Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty and Goldman Sachs Executive Vice President John F.W. Rogers.


The industry-minded members in Trump’s Cabinet, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, were present, along with economic adviser Larry Kudlow.

Private equity baron David Hamilton and his wife, Catharine Hamilton, who founded American Friends of Versailles, were there, too.

Trump has enjoyed his newfound power to summon prominent businesspeople to meet with him at the White House, and he made use of it Tuesday night in honoring French President Emmanuel Macron.

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Trump read from a paper, saying he was “profoundly honored” to welcome Macron and his wife, Brigitte. The French leader responded that he was surprised to have struck up a warm working relationship with Trump, who he welcomed to Paris last year for Bastille Day.

“On both sides of the ocean, some two years ago, very few would have bet on us being here together today,” Macron said.

Macron vowed to work with the American president despite their disagreements — an oblique reference to Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, plan to impose steel tariffs and desire to cancel the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama.

Trump also broke with tradition by shutting congressional Democrats out of the event, which was held in the State Dining Room — a smaller venue with a shorter guest list than the dinners Obama hosted, typically in tents on the South Lawn.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards was the only elected Democrat in attendance — but Apple’s Cook arrived with former Obama EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, now an executive at Apple, as his date.

Nonetheless, Trump administration officials appeared eager to ignore politics and focus on the pageantry of the president’s first state dinner. Vice President Mike Pence, arriving with second lady Karen Pence, ignored shouted questions about Trump's embattled pick to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson. But he described first lady Melania Trump's work on the state dinner as "breathtaking."

Kudlow gave a thumbs-up as he walked in and also wouldn't answer questions about Jackson.

Mnuchin arrived with his wife, Louise Linton, who wore a Roberto Cavalli gown. She said she was looking forward to “everything French,” and Mnuchin said he was looking forward to “more French.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and Louisiana’s Republican Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy were the only members of Congress to attend. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was invited but was unable to attend.

“I’m going to thank the people of France for the president for selling Louisiana to the United States,” Kennedy said as he walked in.

Maine’s controversial Republican Gov. Paul LePage rounded out the delegation of elected officials.

A number of senior Trump White House officials also attended, including chief of staff John Kelly; press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders; national security adviser John Bolton; senior aide Stephen Miller; and senior aides and Trump’s daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.

