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Joe and Jill Biden welcome Kenya's president and wife to state dinner as Don McLean, 78, bring MUCH younger girlfriend and first granddaughter Natalie appears with her British beau
President Biden and his wife Jill Biden welcomed Kenya's president to the White House for a glamorous state dinner featuring a bevy of family members, celebrities and lawmakers.
Melissa Cohen, the wife of Hunter Biden, walked the red carpet solo, not answering when asked where her husband was. Hunter is on the guest list for the event and he was spotted seated beside his wife at the dinner.
Several other Biden family members were in attendance, including granddaughter Naomi and her husband Peter, and Finnegan Biden.
Natalie Biden, the president's youngest granddaughter, brought her boyfriend Rafael Hajjar, a British citizen who is studying at the University of Pennsylvania, where Natalie is attending college.
It was 19-year-old Natalie's first state dinner.
Other guests coupled up for the event, including singer Don McLean and his young girlfriend. McLean, 78, is 48 years older than his girlfriend Paris Dylan, 30. The American Pie singer was proud to be at the lavish state dinner with his young partner, telling photographers to get a photo.
Dylan wore a hot pink tuxedo style jacket as a dress, showing off her long legs.
The Bidens are holding their largest state dinner to date, welcoming 500 guests to the event for Kenyan President William Ruto and his wife Rachel. The first couple greeted their guests on the North Lawn. Jill Biden wore a sapphire blue, hand-embroidered evening gown by Sergio Hudson. Rachel Ruto wore a silver dress in traditional Kenyan style.
And Barack Obama made a surprise visit to the glass pavilion on the South Lawn where the dinner was taking place.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcome Kenya's President William Ruto and first lady Rachel Ruto to the White House
Biden's granddaughter Natalie Biden, 19, walks the red carpet at her first state dinner with her British boyfriend Rafael Hajjar
Melissa Cohen, wife of Hunter Biden, walked red carpet solo at the state dinner
Hunter Biden with Melissa Cohen in the back left
Musician Don McLean and model Paris Dunn
Sean Penn and his charity co-founder Ann Lee
Country singer Brad Paisley was the entertainment.
During his performance, he changed the lyrics of 'American Saturday Night' to include a 'Ukrainian flag hanging behind the bar' - earning him cheers from the state dinner crowd.
Guests dined in a glass pavilion buit on the South Lawn. The sky was visible beneath its clear roof.
'Thank you for joining Joe and me under the stars,' Jill Biden told the crowd.
The energy was high with guests enthusiastic for the evening to come.
There was a bevy of bold-faced Democratic names in attendance, walking the red carpet in the East Wing to make their way into the festivities.
Bill and Hillary Clinton attended their second dinner in a row. They also attended the one for Japan in April.
And Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton's former top aide, was there with her boyfriend Alex Soros, the son of billionaire George Soros.
Actress Michaela Coel, Melinda Gates, NFL Chief Roger Goodell, author Barbara Kingsolver, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Sheryl Sandberg, actor Wilmer Valderrama, and Kimberly Williams, were also in attendance.
Reading Rainbow's LeVar Burton said that it was his first ever state dinner and he was looking forward to 'everything.'
When asked what would be the word of the day to describe the political climate, Burton answered: 'Just one? Can I swear?... It's fraught. Fraught with possibility.'
The Bidens are rolling out all the stops for the Kenyan president after Biden failed to keep his promise to visit sub-Saharan Africa last year. Guests were taken down to the South Lawn as the sun set over the city.
They dined in a glass pavilion, taking in stunning views of the stars and the city's famous monuments.
Jill Biden visited Kenya in February 2023. Ahead of the event, she said she hopes guests at the dinner 'will be filled with that same warmth I felt on my visits to Kenya – that of a friendship that will endure, helping create a shining and prosperous tomorrow.'
Over 1,000 candles lined the walls of the pavilion, reflecting off the glass and the 15,000 pieces of reflective metallic strips that were suspended above the guests.
American roses along with fuchsia and purple African orchids made up the centerpieces.
The Howard University Gospel Choir performs in the glass pavilion on the lawn
Naomi Biden and her husband Peter Neal
Finnegan Biden
Country music star Brad Paisley and his wife actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his wife TV producer Jane Skinner Goodell
Commissioner of the NBA Adam Silver and Maggie Grise
Actor Wilmer Valderrama and Amanda Pacheco Rhinesmith
Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff
Jill Biden thanks guests at the state dinner
Vice President Kamala Harris walked the red carpet with husband Doug Emhoff.
'It's a good night,' she said.
Actress Michaela Coel wore a stunning red dress by a Sudanese designer. She said it was a gift from a friend who wore it as a wedding dress.
'It's from a Sudanese friend of mine. She wore it to her wedding and gave it to me,' she said.
'I'm really excited. This is my first time in Washington,' Coel added. 'The closest I've had to this is Hamilton the musical.'
The British actress noted she was eager to meet the president of Kenya.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, a progressive who supports Palestine, said 'I'm looking forward to having all the conversations' when asked if she planned to talk Gaza with President Biden.
Senator Cory Booker brought his mom Carolyn Booker. He helped her pose for a photo, telling her 'this is where we show them how sexy we look.'
Country singer Brad Paisley performed for the crowd
U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden pose with Kenyan President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto in front of the Grand Staircase
President Joe Biden toasts Kenyan President William Ruto
Senator Cory Booker brought his mom Carolyn Booker
Rep. Ilhan Omar and husband Tim Mynett
Alex Soros and Huma Abedin
Actor LeVar Burton and Stephanie Cozart Burton
Treasury Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten Buttigieg
Bill Clinton sat next to Joe Biden at the dinner
Barack Obama stopped by the dinner tent to say hi
Civil Rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton and Aisha McShaw
Novelist Barbara Kingsolver and her husband Steven Hopp
Guests dined on lobster, short ribs and chilled tomato soup.
Kenya is the first African nation since 2008 to be honored by the U.S. with a state visit - the biggest perk the White House can offer a foreign leader. It's the sixth state dinner of the Biden administration.
Biden honored Kenya with a three-day visit after he vowed at the Africa Leaders Summit in 2022 to visit the continent in 2023. He said he was 'all in' on Africa.
That visit didn't happen given other world events - particularly the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Wednesday that Biden still intends to visit Africa as president.
'I plan to go in February after I am reelected,' Biden told reporters Thursday afternoon.
Kenya's visit comes as the East African nation prepares to deploy forces to Haiti as part of U.N.-led effort to try to calm the security crisis in the Caribbean country.
About 1,000 police officers from Kenya are expected to arrive on the island soon. Bahamas, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Bangladesh are also sending police forces.
Additionally the U.S. is using Kenya as a bulwark against growing Russian and Chinese influence in Africa.
China is Kenya's biggest creditor. Debt relief is on the agenda when Biden and Ruta meet.
And Russia has tried to expand its economic and military influence across Africa.
Kenya is the economic powerhouse of East Africa. It's known as the Silicon Savannah as its capital Nairobi is rapidly becoming a tech center. Google has a huge operations center in Nairobi.
First course is Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup (left), second course is Fruitwood-smoked Beef Short Ribs Butter-poached Lobster (center) and dessert is a White Chocolate Basket (right)
The table setting for the state dinner includes African orchids and American roses
President Joe Biden first lady Jill Biden, Kenyan President William Ruto and his wife Rachel Ruto on the South Portico at the White House
Ruto's visit began when he and Biden meet with tech leaders at the White House on Wednesday. Executives from Teneo, Alphabet, and Semiconductor Technologies Limited are among those expected to attend.
On Thursday the two leaders also met in the Oval Office and held a press conference. Ruto also had a private visit with Barack Obama
Ruto is also set to participate Friday in an event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with Vice President Kamala Harris.