Biden hosting Clintons, Big Tech bigwigs at state dinner for Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida

Politics

By Steven Nelson

WASHINGTON — President Biden will host Bill and Hillary Clinton along with Big Tech titans Wednesday night at the White House for a state dinner in honor of visiting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The Clintons, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Apple CEO Tim Cook will dine with Biden in the White House East Room — enjoying a menu that includes house-cured salmon, dry-aged rib-eye steak and salted caramel pistachio cake.

Paul Simon, 82, will provide the evening’s entertainment later in the nearby State Dining Room.

The “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” singer is reputed to be a favorite of first lady Jill Biden’s.

Others expected to attend the lavish celebration include actor Robert De Niro, figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, World Bank President Ajay Banga and United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain.

Unlike past state dinners, scandal-plagued first son Hunter Biden won’t be attending, though other members of the first family are on the list, including first daughter Ashley Biden and Hunter’s daughters Finnegan and Naomi, as well as Naomi’s husband Peter Neal.

The guest list includes first lady Jill Biden’s top aide Anthony Bernal, whom former colleagues accused last month of sexual harassment and bullying.

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients dismissed those allegations as “unfounded” hours after receiving a request for comment — without investigating them.

Billionaires Neil Bluhm, a casino and real estate magnate, Jon Gray, a financier, Amos Hostetter, a cable TV pioneer, and Lynda and Stewart Resnick, agriculturalists, were also on the White House guest list, along CEOs Jamie Dimon (JP Morgan Chase),  Larry Fink ( BlackRock) and Megan Myungwon Lee (Panasonic North America). 

Four governors, all Democrats, received invites: Govs. Kathy Hochul of New York, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Tony Evers of Wisconsin.

Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), a frequent Biden administration critic, was also on the list along with two of his Democratic colleagues, Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) was also invited.