Lamont to attend Biden’s first state dinner at White House
Gov. Ned Lamont and First Lady Annie Lamont will be among the guests at the first official state dinner at the White House on Thursday night.
Lamont’s office announced his invitation to the dinner, which will highlight the long-standing ties between the U.S. and France, in a press release Wednesday. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron will be the distinguished guests.
President Joe Biden is hosting the first state dinner since 2019 – marking a return to some of the more ceremonial and pomp and circumstance activities at the White House that were put on hold due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Lamont, who was among the first governors to announce support for Biden during his 2020 presidential run, said in a written statement that he was appreciative of the president and First Lady Jill Biden for including Connecticut as part of the important event.
“This is a significant opportunity to represent our state and reinforce the strong cultural and economic ties we have with our French partners,” Lamont said. “While in Washington, I look forward to meeting with other federal partners to discuss critical priorities for our state.”
Lamont will stay in Washington, D.C., on Friday to meet with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the former governor of Rhode Island, his office said.