Trump just threw his very first state dinner — and it reveals key differences between him and Obama by Áine Cain on Apr 25, 2018, 2:38 PM Advertisement
 - Donald Trump just feted French president Emmanuel Macron with a lavish state dinner in the White House.
- Four years ago, Barack Obama hosted Macron's predecessor François Hollande for a similarly fancy state dinner.
- The events were both opulent, but differed in a number of key ways.
Donald Trump wined and dined French president Emmanuel Macron at the White House last night.
But how did Trump's state dinner for Macron compare with the one their predecessors shared in 2014? Well, for one thing, the state dinner that Barack Obama hosted for then French president François Hollande was far bigger. Around 350 people attended, and the event was held in a large tent on the South Lawn of the White House, CNN reported. Trump's guest list was tighter, with about 150 attendees, Politico reported. As such, the celebrations were largely contained to the State Dining Room in the White House. Back in 2014, the Washington Post reported that these diplomatic soirees can come with hefty price tags — up to $500,000. They're also traditionally planned with a ton of input from the first lady, so Michelle Obama and Melania Trump and their respective staffers deserve much of the credit for the two events. Here's a quick breakdown of how Trump's state dinner compares to Obama's: SEE ALSO: Trump and Macron are meeting up for a state dinner — here are 9 US presidents who previously hosted French leaders DON'T MISS: Trump is hosting his first state visit in office — take a look back at how the elaborate diplomatic tradition became what it is today Trump broke with tradition by largely excluding everyone except for Republican-friendly figures  Obama's 2014 guest list was remarkable in one respect: the French president went stag. Hollande's relationship with Valerie Trierweiler had just ended, so he opted to attend the event. solo. The state dinner drew in attendees from a range of industries. Well-known figures like Elon Musk, Stephen Colbert, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jill Abramson, Jeff Zucker, Bradley Cooper, and J.J. Abrams all mingled with Hollande and the US president. Obama also invited Republican politicians like Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor, and Bill Haslam, as well as figures from his own party like Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. Trump didn't extend the same courtesy to most Democratic figures. CNN reported that Louisiana's Democratic governor John Bel Edwards did snag an invite, however. Trump's guest list mostly featured notable figures in his own orbit — like first daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kusher, adviser Stephen Miller, CIA director Mike Pompeo, White House chief of staff John Kelly, and Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin and his wife Louise Linton. Other conservative icons included Rupert Murdoch amd Henry Kissinger made appearances. Apple CEO Tim Cook was one notable exception.
Michelle Obama and Melania Trump both attended the event in style — but Obama's gown was likely much less expensive  At her husband's 2014 soiree, Michelle Obama wore a black and blue gown from designer Carolina Herrera. The dress was given as a gift to the first lady, and was estimated to have a price tag around $12,000. The New York Times reported that Melania Trump's sequined silver dress was a haute couture Chanel gown, while Brigitte Macron donned a cream and gold Louis Vuitton number. It's currently unclear how much their dresses cost — and whether or not they were gifts from the designers — although the Sidney Morning Herald reported that haute couture can run from $30,000 to $100,000. On the other hand, Obama, Hollande, Trump, and Macron all went with black tuxes.
Obama's state dinner included more courses than Trump's  Both presidents decided to put out a menu that promised gourmet American cuisine with a French twist. The Obama administration's table decor featured a classic blue and white color palette, with gold highlights. Unsurprisingly, the Trumps went with lots of gold. Hollande and the Obamas tucked into four courses. Dishes included "American osetra caviar," "fingerling potato velouté," quail eggs, and a salad dubbed "the winter garden salad." Guests chowed down on a main course of dry-aged rib eye beef, and then wrapped up with a dessert of Hawaiian chocolate-malted ganache, served with vanilla ice cream and tangerines. Meanwhile, at Trump's three course state dinner, "goat cheese gateau," "buttermilk biscuit crumbles," and "Carolina gold rice jambalaya" were all served up. The main course consisted of a rack of spring lamb, and desert featured crème fraîche ice cream and a nectarine tart, according to a menu obtained by CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller. It's unclear whether or not the president took two scoops of the crème fraîche.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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