It has been more than a year since President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted their first — and only — official State Dinner at the White House, but on Monday morning, the White House announced a second dinner is currently in the works.
“The President and first lady will welcome Prime Minister and Mrs. Morrison of Australia to the White House on September 20, 2019, for an official visit, which will include a State Dinner,” says the statement, which came from the office of new White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham. The visit is being labeled as “official,” and not “state” because Morrison is not technically the head of state of Australia; that distinction belongs to Queen Elizabeth.
The Trump’s first State Dinner at the White House was held in honor of the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron and Mrs. Brigitte Macron. It took place in April 2018, and featured approximately 120 invited guests, a three-course meal of seasonal American and French-influenced dishes, a cream and gold color scheme for the décor, with white floral centerpieces on each table and a performance from the Washington National Opera.
“Mrs. Trump selected every item and every detail for the dinner, from the entrée to the chair cushions,” White House social secretary Rickie Niceta told CNN at the time.
Trump and Morrison recently spent time together at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, in June, as well as earlier last month at the D-Day Commemoration Ceremony in Portsmouth, England.
Morrison, whose politics lean toward traditional conservatism, has been Australia’s prime minister since August 2018.
“The visit will celebrate the two countries’ close friendship and shared history, and reaffirm our common vision for global peace, security, and prosperity,” the White House statement on the dinner said.
Australian first lady Jennifer “Jenny” Morrison studied nursing when she was younger, but now devotes her time to taking care of the couple’s two young daughters. Similar to Melania Trump, Morrison has said she does not wish to have an overblown public presence as first lady, preferring instead to maintain a lower-profile as her husband ascended to the top spot in Australia’s political sphere.
