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Permalinkcelebrities, politicians, and allies of the president, as President Joe
Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden roll out the red carpet for Kenyan
President William Ruto and first lady Rachel Ruto.
Former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
actor LeVar Burton, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NBA Commissioner Adam
Silver and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries were among the
distinguished guests invited to the official ?state dinner with former
President Barack Obama making a brief, surprise appearance.
Kenyan President William Ruto and US President Joe Biden acknowledge the
crowd during an official arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White
House in Washington, DC, on May 23, 2024.
There is a bright light at the White House tonight, Biden said to the
Kenyan president during his toast at the state dinner. Jill and I are
honored to have you here.
He then joked that many members of the African diaspora were at
Thursdays black-tie event, including Obama who just left. Biden added
that Obama has been very gracious and met with Ruto earlier Thursday.
The former president was not on the initial state dinner guest list
released by the White House. He attended a reception in the Blue Room
prior to the dinner and stopped into the dinner area briefly, according to
his office. Obama, whose father was born in Kenya, visited the country as
president in 2015 and returned in 2018 after leaving office.
Biden added that the United States has a strong respect for Kenya and
recalled when former President Jimmy Carter hosted Kenyan leaders for the
first time.
He concluded with an Irish toast, saying in part until we meet again, may
God hold you in the palm of his hand - to Kenya, to our guests.
During his toast, Ruto asked attendees to raise a glass to the continued
wellbeing and long life of President Biden and the first lady.
A state visit is among the highest diplomatic tools a White House can
employ to honor a top ally, with the meticulously planned event arriving
as Biden seeks to emphasize the strong alliance between the two countries.
Hollywood also had a presence at Thursdays dinner actors Wilmer
Valderrama and Sean Penn were among those invited, and Burton told
reporters that it is his first state dinner.
The dinner was set to be held in a transparent pavilion on the South
Lawn, according to the first ladys office ahead of the event, that would
be adorned with more than 1,000 candles. Guests were expected to be served
three courses the first was a chilled heirloom tomato soup. The main
course for Thursdays dinner was a best of both worlds duo of butter-
poached lobster and smoked beef short ribs, according to White House
Executive Chef Cris Comerford.
Sports commissioners Goodell and Silver were among the guests invited to
Thursday nights state dinner. The NFL hosted a talent identification camp
in Kenya last year as it looked to expand its NFL Africa program,
according to a press release from the time. NBA Africa has a subsidiary
in Kenya that was opened in November 2023, per the league.
Philanthropist Melinda French Gates and former longtime Meta chief
operating officer Sheryl Sandberg were also among the guests invited to
Thursdays dinner.
Country star Brad Paisley and the Howard Gospel Choir provided the
entertainment at the glitzy event. Paisley donned a white cowboy hat as he
entered the White House Thursday evening.
Some members of Congress were also invited to the dinner, including
Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Veronica Escobar of Texas, as
well as GOP Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas.
Rev. Al Sharpton was invited to the dinner and told reporters that
democracy is going to win in 2024 when asked if the president would win
reelection.
CNNs Bianna Golodryga was invited to Thursdays dinner, as were NBC News
Lester Holt and the Associated Press Darlene Superville.
This visit marks the first time an American president has hosted an
African leader for a state visit since February 2008, when President
George W. Bush hosted the president of Ghana. Thursdays dinner is the
sixth state dinner Biden has hosted since he became president.
This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/23/politics/biden-ruto-kenya-state-dinner-
guests/index.html
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http://eastandard.net/headlines/news26060403.htm
Sunday, June 27, 2004
Kenyan-born Obama all set for US Senate
Kenyan-born US Senate hopeful, Barrack Obama, appeared set to take over
the Illinois Senate seat after his main rival, Jack Ryan, dropped out of
the race on Friday night amid a furor over lurid sex club allegations.
The allegations that horrified fellow Republicans and caused his once-
promising candidacy to implode in four short days have given Obama a clear
lead as Republicans struggled to fetch an alternative.
Ryans campaign began to crumble on Monday following the release of
embarrassing records from his divorce. In the records, his ex-wife, Boston
Public actress Jeri Ryan, said her former husband took her to kinky sex
clubs in Paris, New York and New Orleans.
"Its clear to me that a vigorous debate on the issues most likely could
not take place if I remain in the race," Ryan, 44, said in a statement.
"What would take place, rather, is a brutal, scorched-earth campaign the
kind of campaign that has turned off so many voters, the kind of politics
I refuse to play."
Although Ryan disputed the allegations, saying he and his wife went to one
avant-garde club in Paris and left because they felt uncomfortable,
lashed out at the media and said it was "truly outrageous" that the
Chicago Tribune got a judge to unseal the records.
AP
Copyright © 2004 . The Standard Ltd
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