Soon after President Donald Trump took the oath of office on Monday, the just sworn-in commander in chief got to work to herald in what he and his friends call a “new golden era of America. ”
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Speaking before guests during the lunch, Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA ) celebrated the swearing-in of Trump, saying, “America is ready for another golden age. ”
Visitors began to flow into the breakfast just after 1 p. m. , times after Trump finished his annual address. The group comprised Republicans and Democrats, as almost every part of parliamentary leadership in both events was present for the event.
A number of tech executives were likewise present, such as Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has sought in recent days to cozy up with Trump as he returns to the White House.
Some incoming Trump administration officials even attended the breakfast, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Trump’s choose to remain U. S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL ), who is expected to be confirmed this week as secretary of state.
Different Cabinet nominees there include former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, past North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The national opening is one of the rare occasions in which all previous life presidents and their spouses gather in one place, away from funerals, such as the one for the later President Jimmy Carter earlier this month. That history was broken in 2021, although, when Trump declined to participate then-President Joe Biden’s opening.
Despite Biden and past Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton attending the opening, none of the people attended the annual dinner. Former first girls Alice Biden, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton were also not in attendance. ( Michelle Obama was likewise excluded for the opening ceremony. )
The annual dinner functions as the official welcome to the approaching president and vice president, a custom that has been upheld for seven years. However, it ’s the first dinner since Trump’s next opening, as Biden did not sponsor one for himself in 2021 due to public wellness precautions in place for COVID-19.
The first annual dinner was held in the Capitol in 1897, although it was not established as an official celebration until 1953.
Employees began serving the three-course dinner around 2:30 p. m. , with staff pouring glasses of wine and serving meals.
Trump sat at the front of the space between first lady Melania Trump and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the leading Democrat on the Senate Rules Committee, which helps prepare the opening. Donald Trump was seen enthusiastically chatting with Klobuchar and Vance throughout the meal as participants approached the board to visit the just sworn-in leader.
The meal began with a program of Chesapeake shrimp cakes topped with tomato teeth, bay ketchup, pickled vegetables, parsley, and chive petrol served with Chardonnay. Participants were then served Greater Omaha Angus ribeye brisket topped with vegetables, broccoli, and corn gratin.
For the next program, attendees were served cake: Minnesota apple snow field terrine with sour milk ice cream and salted caramel.
During the signing ceremony before the luncheon, Trump approved multiple Cabinet-level and sub-Cabinet-level appointments, as well as acting designations for Cabinet positions and chairman appointments. The president also signed a directive ensuring all flags be flown at full-staff during future inaugurations.
The lunch wrapped up just before 4 p. m. after Johnson was tasked with giving the toast to the vice president followed by Thune toasting to Trump. Trump and Vance were also gifted with official photographs of the two being sworn in earlier that day as well as the flags that flew over the Capitol during the inauguration ceremony.
Trump is prepared to travel to Capital One Arena after lunch, where his supporters gathered to watch the inauguration ceremony. There, Trump will address the crowd and sign some executive orders from the indoor arena.
Trump plans to sign several executive orders for his first day in office, even sending a memo to Republican lawmakers ahead of his swearing-in detailing the actions he would take, along with a fact sheet on “how they will improve the lives of every American and get our country back on track. ”
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Trump has a number of actions he plans to take on his first day, including orders to reinstate “Remain in Mexico” protocols, declare an energy emergency, and rename certain landmarks to “appropriately honor our Nation’s history, ” among other things.
The inauguration is typically held outdoors, but the ceremony was moved indoors due to frigid temperatures, Trump announced on Friday. That decision sent staff members into a frenzy as they had to undo months of planning for an outdoor ceremony and adapt it to a much smaller venue inside the Capitol Rotunda.
