State dinners are useful tools for celebrating the culture of the visiting leader, so on Thursday evening, President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted a 400-person soiree filled with sequins, saris and colorful flowers saffron in honor of the prime minister. India’s Narendra Modi.
Meatless and sweet delights such as pink strawberry and cardamom cake were on offer to please the vegetarian guest of honour. The two leaders joked soberly, literally, about their relationship.
The good news, Mr. Biden said, was that “none of us drink.”
With a glass of ginger ale, Mr Biden toasted “two great nations, two great friends and two great powers”.
Still, the bitterness of political discord, both global and domestic, was felt just beyond the gates of the White House. Outside, protesters stood in the rain, holding up signs criticizing the treatment of Mr. Modi did to religious groups. On Capitol Hill, House Republicans had just voted to begin investigating the possibility of impeaching Mr. Biden over his immigration policies. The guest list included at least one other impeachment target: Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary.
The mix of political opponents and members of the Biden family created a dinner scene so dissonant that no amount of clinking glass could have drowned out the partisan currents.
Still, two prominent Republicans showed up at the White House and indicated they were putting away their boxing gloves for a few hours to enjoy the state dinner, which may be the only social invitation left in Washington that everyone still wants , you condemn political convictions.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy of California and Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana didn’t really seem to want to talk politics. Mr. McCarthy, asked about the political machinations that appeared to have been muted for the occasion, noted that she had brought her daughter-in-law to the event: “It was my turn,” she told a crowd of reporters. brilliantly – a tactic similar to the one he deployed when he brought his mother to the state dinner honoring France’s Emmanuel Macron last winter.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic majority leader, was also reluctant to talk politics, directing reporters to his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth. Mr. Schumer ended up at the head table with the president and first lady, as did fashion designer Ralph Lauren, who designed Dr. Biden’s sequined green dress.
Sen. Joe Manchin III, a centrist who is often a legislative thorn in his party’s side, walked by with a smile on his wife’s arm.
Mr Scalise, who earlier secured an invitation to Macron’s dinner, attended alone and said only that he expected an “interesting dinner” given the jumble of a guest list.
He was referring to the presence of Attorney General Merrick Garland and Hunter Biden, the president’s son who, two days earlier, indicated he would plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and take a deal to avoid prosecution on a weapons charge . The younger Mr. Biden avoided reporters altogether, arriving by cart at the tent just before the elder Mr. Biden gave a toast. The president’s brother James, who has pursued business overseas and is another target of the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, also avoided the cameras.
Ashley Biden, the president’s daughter, walked by in sequins, refusing to answer questions about who had designed her dress. The Department of Justice is investigating the theft by conservative operatives of a journal he kept while recovering from addiction.
Mr. Garland also avoided reporters. During the dinner, Mr. Garland stayed away from the younger Mr. Biden, who circulated among the guests, pausing to laugh and talk with Bill Nelson, the former senator and current NASA administrator.
Perhaps no one illustrated the disconnect between a harmless few hours of partying and the partisan discord going on outside than Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the House, who arrived with her husband, Paul. Pelosi, 83, was attacked with a hammer last fall at her home in San Francisco by a man who espoused far-right conspiracy theories. Pelosi, who had been wearing hats in public for months, showed off her gray hair this time and said she felt “better.”
In this crowd, the pace of footsteps seemed to correlate directly with each guest’s relative interest in speaking with reporters. Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California and one of the lawmakers who had called for Mr. Addressing Congress earlier in the day, Modi slowed to respond to a question about whether he was satisfied with the prime minister’s remarks on human rights: “I thought it was very good that he talked about celebrating all religions.” , said Mr. Khanna before going out to the tent.
Unlike previous dinners, the event had little celebrity power, but several influential figures from India and Indian America made the cut, including Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of Pepsi; Mukesh Ambani, the billionaire and philanthropist; and Vimal Kapur, the CEO of Honeywell.
Otherwise, the guest list appeared to prioritize political allies, a few provocative adversaries and deep-pocketed donors as Mr. Biden’s re-election campaign gears up. Apple’s Tim Cook attended, as did Florida-based donor John Morgan. Also in attendance was James Murdoch, son of Rupert Murdoch. Mr. The younger Murdoch hosted a fundraising for Mr. Biden last October.
Joshua Bell, the violinist scheduled to perform at the dinner, was asked what he thought of Mr. Mode. “I try to stay away from politics, but I love Indian music,” he said, before a military aide ushered him inside.
At the end of the dinner, the Prime Minister was one of the few guests who had publicly delved into politics.
“You speak softly,” said Mr. Modi to President, “but when it comes to action, you are very strong.”
Doug Mills contributed to the report.
