Henry Kissinger, Tim Cook among guests at White House state dinner

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A state dinner held by President Trump on Tuesday night featured a slate of prominent guests, including former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Apple CEO Tim Cook, media mogul Rupert Murdoch and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).

The dinner, which was held in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron, who was visiting Washington with his wife, will feature about 150 guests, including a number of prominent lawmakers, Cabinet secretaries, White House staff and at least one Supreme Court justice.

President Trump received criticism for not inviting Democratic lawmakers or members of the media to the dinner.

But Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) did attend the dinner, alongside Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.).

Another guest in attendance was Lisa Jackson, who served as the chief of the Environmental Protection Agency under former President Obama and who currently serves as director of sustainability at Apple. She came as Cook’s guest.

Also among the guests were Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, White House aide Stephen Miller and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Two Olympians, curler John Shuster and hockey player Meghan Duggan, were also spotted entering with their gold medals.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner — the president’s family members and advisers — entered together, as did Vice President Pence and his wife Karen.

Asked how she thought Melania Trump was doing as first lady, Karen Pence told reporters, “breathtaking.”

The dinner is Trump’s first state dinner since he became president.

On Monday, Macron and Trump planted a tree gifted by France outside the White House. It was the first ceremonial act of Macron’s state visit.

The first lady selected the decor, entertainment and food for Tuesday’s dinner. The menu will consist of three courses that include American dishes with French influences.

The Washington National Opera from the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts will perform at the dinner.

Tags Bill Cassidy Donald Trump France Ivanka Trump Jared Kushner Karen Pence Kevin McCarthy Melania Trump Paul Ryan state dinner State visit White House Wilbur Ross

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