x
Breaking News
More () »

Tim Cook, Rupert Murdoch, Henry Kissinger top the guest list for Trump's first state dinner

On the menu: rack of spring lamb, burnt cipollini soubise and Carolina Gold rice jambalaya.
Credit: Mark Wilson
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump stand with French President Emmanuel Macron and French first lady Brigitte Macron after their arrival before a State Dinner, April 24, 2018. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Trump first daughter and White House aide Ivanka Trump and her husband, top aide Jared Kushner, are among the few boldfaced-name guests attending the Trump administration's first state dinner, for France, on Tuesday.

Other guests included media titan Rupert Murdoch and his fourth wife, Jerry Hall Murdoch, the former American model; Hervé Pierre Braillard, the French-American fashion designer who is a favorite of first lady Melania Trump; and Apple CEO Tim Cook, who was accompanied by Lisa Jackson, a former EPA chief-turned-vice president at Apple.

The guest list of about 130 people was noticeably short of the kind of superstar entertainers who used to turn up regularly at the bashes hosted by former President Barack Obama.

Rupert Murdoch and his wife, Jerry Hall Murdoch, arrive in the Booksellers Area of the White House to attend a state dinner honoring France's President Emmanuel Macron on April 24, 2018. (Photo: MANDEL NGAN, AFP/Getty Images)

Instead, the guest list was dominated by Republican and administration heavyweights, such as former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and his wife, Nancy; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and his controversial wife, Scottish-born actress Louise Linton; French-born IMF chief Christine Lagarde; cosmetics chief and former ambassador Ronald Lauder; and two Winter Olympians who flashed medals on their way into the pre-dinner reception Tuesday.

Plus, a clutch of White House staffers are there, including chief of staff John Kelly; Secretary of Defense James Mattis; press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders; and top aide Stephen Miller.

The White House on Monday made a point of stressing that the first lady, 47, was involved in every detail of the dinner honoring French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, according to Trump spokeswoman Sanders at her Monday press briefing.

The first lady selected a menu of rack of lamb and nectarine tart, along with after-dinner entertainment provided by the Washington National Opera.

Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner, President Trump's senior advisors, arrive in the Booksellers Area of the White House to attend a state dinner honoring French President Emmanuel Macron. (Photo: MANDEL NGAN, AFP/Getty Images)

The color scheme was cream and gold and the china settings consist of the Bill Clinton china for the baseplate, along with both George W. Bush and Clinton china for the dinner service.

The relatively intimate State Dining Room featured more than 2,500 stems of white sweet peas and nearly 1,000 stems of white lilac — both California and Dutch-grown mixed.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and his wife, Scottish-born actress Louise Linton, arrive in the Booksellers Area of the White House to attend a state dinner honoring France's President Emmanuel Macron. (Photo: MANDEL NGAN, AFP/Getty Images)

The full menu is as follows:

First Course:

Goat cheese gateau

Tomato jam

Buttermilk biscuit crumbles

Young variegated lettuces

Main Course:

Rack of Spring lamb

Burnt cipollini soubise

Carolina Gold rice jambalaya

Dessert:

Nectarine tart

Crème fraîche ice cream

CEO of Apple Tim Cook arrives with Lisa Jackson, former EPA head and now an Apple vice president, in the Booksellers Area of the White House to attend a state dinner honoring France's President Emmanuel Macron. (Photo: MANDEL NGAN, AFP/Getty Images)

Before You Leave, Check This Out