White House opts for low-key Australian PM state dinner

It was a subdued night as the White House appeared to try to balance hosting a state dinner for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese amid a backdrop of violent international conflicts.

The White House had made the decision to scale back on the potential party-like atmosphere at the Wednesday dinner in the wake of the terrorist attack by the militant group Hamas against Israel on Oct. 7. The B-52s, who were originally poised to perform at the dinner, were instead replaced with military bands playing instrumental music.

“My parents fled the Nazis in the 30s. All got out. We lost family in Kristallnacht and Theresienstadt,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said when asked about attending the event amidst intense global turmoil.

“Absolutely this is very much on our mind tonight and I just want to commend the president and first lady because we would have loved to, under normal circumstances, had the music,” he said. “That was a good call.”

NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell, who attended other state dinners over her decades-long career, told ITK that the Australia event was “appropriately” low-key because of the violence in the Middle East.

“The music is wonderful and I’m thrilled to be here tonight,” Mitchell said. 

Despite the toned-down vibe, there were some moments of levity as more than 300 guests entered the White House for the black-tie gala.  

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and husband Chasten Buttigieg, the fathers of twins, posed for photos together. Asked what he was most looking forward to about the night, Chasten Buttigieg exclaimed, “The babysitter’s on duty!”

Tommy Moffitt, the teenage son of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, also had members of the press laughing as he entered the soiree.

“I get dragged to lots of things,” Moffitt said in response to a question about attending the state dinner.

Other prominent guests who attended the dinner included: actor John Leguizamo, rapper Kid Laroi, singer Vance Joy, U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy, violinist Itzhak Perlman, and members of the president’s family, including Naomi Biden, Finnegan Biden and Valerie Biden.