White House fetes Kenya with state dinner featuring sunset views, celebrity star power

By WILL WEISSERT and FATIMA HUSSEIN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thursday’s White House state dinner honoring Kenyan President William Ruto offered hundreds of guests some stunning D.C. views, a knockout menu and a healthy dose of celebrity star power. Country singer Brad Paisley performed his hits “American Saturday Night” and “This is Country Music.” The menu included smoked short ribs and poached lobster. Guests included Bill and Hillary Clinton, actors LeVar Burton and Sean Penn, novelist Barbara Kingsolver and the NFL and NBA commissioners. The dinner played out in a giant pavilion erected on the South Lawn of the White House, where guests could watch the sun set over the Washington Monument.