Tonight the White House Rose Garden was transformed into an incredible dinner under the stars. Guests were seated under the warm glow of decorative lights as President Trump, First Lady Melania, Prime Minister Morrison and Mrs. Morrison celebrated the special bond between the United States and Australia. The weather was perfect and the temperature was a very comfortable 70°.
Tables were arranged in circles and in rectangles, covered in a pale yellow tablecloth and adorned with with elaborate white and yellow floral arrangements. The President and First Lady, together with the Morrisons’, walked through the colonnade as “Hail to the Chief” played and guests applauded. The two couples made their way along the colonnade to just outside the Oval Office, flanked by the two countries’ flags, then walked through the assembled tables and greeted guests along the way.
President Trump and Prime Minister Morrison then began their remarks and toasts. Included in his remarks, President Trump recited a stanza from a poem of great significance to the Australian people that has specific personal meaning to Prime Minister Morrison. The prime minister was visibly touched by the unanticipated attention to detail and personal meaning.
The Prime Minister then delivered reciprocal remarks (before his toast) that were pitch perfect for the occasion. Thanking First Lady Melania for presenting an incredible evening, Mr. Morrison highlighted the unique and rebellious national spirit that binds both countries, and perhaps even both leaders. At the conclusion of their toasts President Trump invited a “very special person” to lead the group in a blessing; Rev. Franklin Graham.
After the prayer the leaders returned to the head table to join their guests for dinner. [Video Below]



Guest List:

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump
The Prime Minister of Australia and Mrs. Jennifer Morrison
Mr. David Abney and Mrs. Sherry Abney
Ms. Frances Adamson, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia
Ms. Adrienne Arsht and The Honorable C. Boyden Gray
The Honorable Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services and Mrs. Jennifer Azar
The Honorable William Barr, Attorney General and Mrs. Christine Barr
Ms. Maria Bartiromo and Mr. Jonathan Steinberg
Mr. Adam Beren and Mrs. Ellen Beren
The Honorable Roy Blunt, United States Senator from Missouri and Mrs. Abigail Blunt
Mr. David Bohigian and Mrs. Catherine Bohigian
Mr. Donald Bollinger and Mrs. Joy Bollinger
Mr. T. Ulrich Brechbühl and Mrs. Michelle Brechbühl
The Honorable Gavin Buckley, Mayor of Annapolis and Mrs. Julie Buckley
The Honorable Sean Cairncross and Ms. Emily Skor
General Angus Campbell AO DSC, Chief of the Defense Force, Australia
Mr. Andrew Carswell, Press Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister of Australia
Mr. Daniel Cathy and Mrs. Rhonda Cathy
Ms. Michelle Chan, National Security Advisor and Senior Advisor (International), Office of the Prime Minister of Australia
The Honorable Pasquale Cipollone and Mrs. Rebecca Cipollone
Air Vice Marshal Alan Clements CSC, Head of Australian Defense Staff, Embassy of Australia and Mrs. Helene Clements
The Honorable Kellyanne Conway
Her Excellency Katrina Cooper, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Australia and Mr. Keith Tuckwell
Mr. Nicholas Creevey, Senior Media Advisor, Office of the Prime Minister of Australia
The Honorable Arthur Culvahouse, American Ambassador to Australia and Ms. Melanie Aitken
The Honorable Leonard Curry, Mayor of Jacksonville and Mrs. Molly Curry
The Honorable Ronald DeSantis, Governor of Florida and Mrs. Casey DeSantis
The Honorable Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education and Mr. Richard DeVos
Mr. Louis Dobbs and Mrs. Debi Dobbs
The Honorable Emma Doyle and Mr. Brett Doyle
The Honorable Mark Esper, Secretary of Defense and Mrs. Leah Esper
Mr. Yaron Finkelstein, Principal Private Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister of Australia
Mr. Andrew Forrest AO and Mrs. Nicola Forrest AO
Mr. Saul Fox and Ms. Hannah Strobel
Mr. Philip Gaetjens, Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Ms. Sonia Gentile, Director of Program, Office of the Prime Minister of Australia
The Honorable Rudolph Giuliani and Dr. Maria Ryan
Mr. James Gorman
The Reverend Franklin Graham and Mrs. Jane Graham
The Honorable Stephanie Grisham and The Honorable Max Miller
Mr. Jack Hampton, Assistant Advisor, Office of the Prime Minister of Australia
Mr. Justin Hayhurst, First Assistant Secretary, International Division, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Australia
The Honorable Katherine Henderson and Ms. Mary Screws
Ms. Diane Hendricks and Mr. Keith Rozolis
His Excellency Joseph Hockey, Ambassador of Australia to the United States and Ms. Melissa Babbage
Dr. Elizabeth Jens and Mr. Ross Allen
Ms. Tham Kannalikham
Mr. Howard Kessler and Mrs. Michele Kessler
The Honorable Henry Kissinger and Mrs. Nancy Kissinger
The Honorable Keith Krach and Mrs. Metta Krach
The Honorable Lawrence Kudlow and Mrs. Judith Kudlow
Dr. John Kunkel, Chief of Staff, Office of the Prime Minister of Australia
The Honorable Robert Lighthizer, United States Trade Representative and Ms. Claire Lighthizer
Mr. Andrew Liveris and Mr. Anthony Liveris
Mr. Nikolai Louw, Executive Officer, Office of the Prime Minister of Australia
The Honorable Viola Lyles, Mayor of Charlotte and Mr. Jeffrey Young
The Honorable Derek Lyons and Ms. Elizabeth Horning
The Honorable David Malpass and Mrs. Adele Malpass
The Honorable Joseph Manchin, United States Senator from West Virginia and Mrs. Gayle Manchin
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy, United States Representative from California and Ms. Meghan McCarthy
The Honorable Bonnie McElveen-Hunter and Mr. Bynum Hunter
Mrs. Gail McGovern and Mr. Donald McGovern
The Honorable Mark Meadows, United States Representative from North
Carolina and Mrs. Debbie Meadows
The Honorable Stephen Miller and Ms. Katie Waldman
General Mark Milley, United States Army
The Honorable Steven Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury and Ms. Louise Linton
The Honorable Mick Mulvaney
Mr. Lachlan Murdoch and Mrs. Sarah Murdoch
Mr. Gregory Norman and Mrs. Kirsten Norman
Mr. Roger Norman and Mrs. Elise Norman
Mrs. Sandra Oudkirk and Mr. Scott Oudkirk
The Honorable Robert O’Brien and Mrs. Louisa O’Brein
The Vice President of the United States and Mrs. Karen Pence
Mr. Isaac Perlmutter and Mrs. Laura Perlmutter
The Honorable Michael Pompeo, Secretary of State and Mrs. Susan Pompeo
The Honorable Matthew Pottinger and Mrs. Yen Pottinger
Mr. Anthony Pratt and Ms. Claudine Revere
The Honorable Lindsay Reynolds
Mrs. Georgina Rinehart
The Honorable James Risch, United States Senator from Idaho and Mrs. Vicki Risch
Mr. Paul Ritchie, Senior Communications Advisor, Office of the Prime Minister of Australia
The Honorable John F.W. Rogers and Ms. Deborah Lehr
The Honorable Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Commerce and Mrs. Hilary Ross
Mr. Phillip Ruffin and Mrs. Oleksandra Ruffin
The Honorable Daniel Scavino
The Honorable Marc Short and Mrs. Kristen Short
Dr. Michelle Simmons AO and Dr. Thomas Barlow
Mr. David Solomon and Ms. Jan Wilson
The Honorable David Stilwell and Mrs. Jan Stilwell
Mr. Kerry Stokes AC and Mrs. Christine Simpson Stokes
Mr. Curtis Stone and Mrs. Lindsay Stone
The Honorable John Sullivan, Deputy Secretary of State and Ms. Graciela Rodriguez
Justice Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States and Mrs. Virginia Thomas
Mr. Andrew Thomas AO
Mr. Robert Thomson and Ms. Ping Wang
Ms. Elizabeth Uihlein and Mr. Jacob Peters
The Honorable Daniel Walsh and Mrs. Deborah Walsh
Mrs. Kathy Warden and Mr. Eric Warden
Mr. Nicholas Warner AO PSM, Director-General of National Intelligence
Ms. Shemara Wikramanayake and Mr. Michael Silverton
Mr. Michael Wirth and Mrs. Julie Wirth
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