State dinners for the visiting dignitaries are useful tools for celebrating the culture of the guest.
On Thursday evening, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden continued the tradition and hosted a 400-person soiree replete with sequins, saris and saffron-colored flowers in honor of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Meatless delicacies and sweet treats, like rose-cardamom strawberry shortcake, were offered to please the vegetarian guest of honor. The good news, Biden said, was that “neither of us drinks.” Holding a glass of ginger ale, Biden went on to toast “two great nations, two great friends, and two great powers”.
Still, the bitterness of political discord, both global and domestic, was detectable just beyond the White House gates. Outside, protesters stood in the rain, hoisting signs criticizing Modi’s treatment of religious groups. On Capitol Hill, House Republicans had just voted to start investigating the possibility of removing Biden from office over his immigration policies. The guest list included at least one other impeachment target: Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of homeland security.
The mix of political adversaries and Biden family members created a dinner scene so dissonant that no amount of glass clinking could have drowned out the partisan undercurrents.
Still, two prominent Republicans appeared at the White House and signaled they were putting their boxing gloves away for a few hours to enjoy the state dinner, which might be the only social invitation left in Washington that everyone still wants, political convictions be damned.
Unlike previous dinners, the event was low on celebrity wattage, but several influential Indian and Indian American figures made the cut, including Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of Pepsi; Mukesh Ambani, a 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 Joe Biden’s campaign for reelection gears up. Tim Cook of Apple attended, as did John Morgan, a Florida-based donor. James Murdoch, the son of Rupert Murdoch, also attended. James Murdoch hosted a fundraiser for Biden in October.
By the end of the dinner, the prime minister was one of the few guests who had publicly waded into politics. “You are soft-spoken,” Modi told the president, “But when it comes to action, you are very strong”.
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