White House throws lavish state dinner for Australia but turns down pizazz a notch in time of war

WASHINGTON — The White House turned down the pizazz for Wednesday’s state dinner, but more than 300 guests from politics, business, government and beyond turned out to celebrate close U.S. ties to ally Australia while striking a measured tone in a time of death and suffering in the Middle East. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who heads up the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the political parties “have to stand together” because of “what’s happening in Israel right now.” With the pairing of what Jill Biden described as “comforting” food along with lower-key entertainment, the White House was intent on honoring Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after the president earlier this year scrapped plans to visit Australia at the last minute due to the debt crisis in Washington. Biden offered a toast “for our partnership, our mateship and the future we’ll create together” with Australia while Albanese said his country “has no greater friend than the United States of America.” Leguizamo, Schumer and two Biden granddaughters, Finnegan and Maisy, were seated at the head table with the president and first lady and Albanese and Haydon. She selected Katie Button, chef and co-founder of Curate, an acclaimed restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina, who said the invitation was “an incredible honor and true privilege.” Before dinner, Jill Biden and Haydon toured the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, to see how the National Cancer Institute supports pediatric cancer research, including through collaborations with researchers in Australia.