Maine Gov. Paul LePage his and daughter Lauren were among the 130 guests Tuesday night at the state dinner given by President Trump in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a list of guests published by the White House.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted Macron and his wife, Brigitte, in the first state dinner of the Trump presidency. The guest list included senators, administration officials and business people.

LePage tweeted a photo of himself and his daughter, who he said he was “delighted” to escort to the dinner.

“I am proud to attend tonight’s (state dinner) for France representing Maine’s French heritage,” he wrote.

LePage’s press secretary, Julie Rabinowitz, said Wednesday that LePage led a delegation of Mainers to the nation’s capital, not all of whom attended the dinner. She said Maine and Lousiana were invited to participate in the Macron visit because of those states’ strong ties to French culture and heritage.

Other notable guests included CIA Director Mike Pompeo, Chief of Staff John Kelly, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, said he planned to “thank the people of France for selling Louisiana to the United States,” reported the Washington Post.

The only Democratic official at the dinner was Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana.

The three-course meal was served on china with a 24-karat gold engraved pattern introduced by then-first lady Hillary Clinton. The menu featured rack of lamb, New Orleans-style jambalaya and a nectarine tart with crème fraîche ice cream, according to the Washington Post.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: