WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden was spending his first state dinner alongside French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday when a guest seated at the head table with them turned the conversation toward the merits of American cuisine. As Macron and his wife, Brigitte, indulged in a selection of American delicacies, Alexandra Pelosi, the daughter of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, asked Biden, a man with uncomplicated tastes, what foods his country was best known for. Sign up for The Morning newsletter fro
From left, first lady Jill Biden, President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, arrive for a state dinner at the White House in Washington on Thursday, Dec.1, 2022.
The lengthy hellos, which were supposed to run about an hour, led to a late evening for Biden, who stayed out sipping soda and chatting with Macron until 12:30 a.m., according to several observers. Since the state dinner itself didn’t appear on plates until 10:30 p.m., some early birds left the party: Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough slipped out shortly after, according to their colleague, Barnicle. Many of the 300 or so guests arrived home well after 1 a.m., and those without security details were pointed toward a nearby street to hail a cab.
But the human impulse to gather — particularly after the worst part of a lengthy pandemic — is universal. Officials who planned the event said the need for Biden and Macron to project a united front against the Russian invasion of Ukraine was urgent. As America’s old alliance was carefully nursed, flashes of bipartisanship that would perhaps surprise the more tribe-minded supporters of lawmakers appeared. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat, approached Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who is attempting to become the next House speaker, to shake hands. That happened more than once.
But for Joe Biden and Jill Biden — whose adherence to coronavirus protocols meant that they did not have an inauguration celebration, an Easter egg roll, or a long slate of holiday parties their first year — guests said their interactions had the element of making up for lost time.
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