The new Washington elite schmoozes over lunch

The new members of the Washington elite schmoozed Friday afternoon at a four-star lunch at the Capitol’s Statuary Hall to celebrate Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 45th president of the United States.

Trump, the star of the show, entered the room to the tune of “Hail to the Chief” while assembled lawmakers applauded. He sat down between congressional leaders at the head table.

His closest allies, Vice President Pence, daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner, sons Donald Jr. Trump and Eric Trump, incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, GOP mega-donor Sheldon Adelson and political adviser Kellyanne Conway, were seated around the room.

So were his Cabinet picks, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the nominee to serve as attorney general; Andy Puzder, his pick to head the Labor Department; and Elaine Chao, who has been tapped to lead the Transportation Department.

Trump and Pence sat at the head table with Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.), Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee. 

The luncheon, at which Trump was presented with framed pictures of the swearing-in ceremony from earlier in the day, solidified the sense on Capitol Hill that Trump’s ascendancy to the Oval Office is complete.

{mosads} 

Schumer said that the finality of the moment reminded him of his daughter’s recent wedding.

The luncheon gave long-time fixtures of Washington’s establishment a chance to get face time, pitch their ideas or merely chat about their personal lives with Trump and members of his inner circle.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) borrowed Blunt’s seat at the head table to have a lengthy chat with Trump.

Schumer was later spotted deep in discussion with the new president, who listened to the Democratic leader intently while he propped his elbow on the table, head resting on his hand.

While Trump’s speech on the West Front was focused on giving power back to the people, the celebratory lunch was a portrait of life at the top in Washington, with all its trappings.

The newly installed first family and their congressional hosts munched on Maine lobster as an appetizer before moving on to to grilled angus beef for the main course, while waiters made the rounds filling their etched glasses with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

They ate with gilded forks and knives off gold-embroidered plates at tables draped with luxurious red-and-white patterned tablecloths and decorated with centerpieces of roses and lilies.

A quintet of harpsichord, cello, flute and two violins played pieces by Joseph Haydn, Arcangelo Corelli and rare works taken from Thomas Jefferson’s library.

Chocolate Soufflé and California champagne were served for the toast, which McConnell offered, wishing Trump “many successes in the years ahead.” 

Ryan offered a tribute Pence, with whom he served for years in the House. While he noted that as vice president his old friend would technically become an officer of the Senate, he reminded him that he would always remain a member of “the people’s House,” where the political sport of the chamber is like rugby compared to the Senate’s golf. 

The lunch was also a chance for Trump to make peace with his former rivals, Bill and Hillary Clinton, after the bitter 2016 presidential campaign. 

Hillary Clinton went up to congratulate Trump as soon as he arrived at the head table, and Trump responded enthusiastically, shaking her hand and mouthing the words, “thank you for being here, thank you” while television cameras caught the moment from the room’s observation balcony.

The Clintons were seated at a table with Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn (Texas) and Trump’s pick to head the Treasury Department, Steve Mnuchin. Bill Clinton spent the early part of the lunch chatting with Mnuchin’s fiancée. 

The lunch also gave Hillary Clinton a chance to meet again with another old rival from the campaign trail, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), which made for one of the more awkward moments of the lunch. 

Clinton took a while to acknowledge Sanders after he made his way through the crowd to say hello. When she did finally notice him, they had only a brief exchange. She spent far less time talking to him than to the other Democratic and Republican lawmakers who lined up to chat.