President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the administration’s third state dinner, the White House announced Wednesday.
The state visit will take place on June 22.
The dinner comes at a time when the U.S. wants India to take a bolder stance against Russia – and is intended to forge deeper ties between the two leaders, as Modi’s relationship with former President Donald Trump was often referred to as a ‘bromance.’
It will also mark the first Indian state dinner since reality TV stars tried to crash one during the Obama years.
Last month, the Bidens hosted South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee for a state dinner that concluded by Yoon belting out a rendition of American Pie alongside Broadway greats.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden (left) will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) for the administration’s third state dinner, the White House announced Wednesday
Trump’s (left) relationship with Modi (right) was described as a ‘bromance’ as the two leaders traveled to each other’s countries for large-scale events
Actress Angelina Jolie and her son Maddox, as well as home improvement stars Chip and Joanna Gaines were in attendance.
For the administration’s first state dinner, which took place in December, the Bidens invited French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte to Washington.
The last White House state dinner with India – President Barack Obama’s first in November 2009 – was crashed by Michaele and Tareq Salahi, who were in the process of filming the Real Housewives of D.C.
Notable guests included Jennifer Garner with daughter Violet Affleck, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Stephen Colbert, while Jon Batiste entertained.
The Bidens were slower to start hosting state dinners due to COVID-19.
However, with the third state dinner, the Biden administration will outpace the last.
Trump only hosted two state dinners during his tenure – also with France and the Macrons, and with Australia and former Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
President Barack Obama’s first state dinner of his administration was with India, as he hosted the country’s then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009.
That dinner was memorable because it attracted two uninvited guests – Michaele and Tareq Salahi, who were filming scenes for the later cancelled reality show, The Real Housewives of D.C.
The gatecrash prompted a federal grand jury and Congress to investigate the incident.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (right) closed out a state dinner last month by belting out a verse of the classic song ‘American Pie’ as President Joe Biden (left) stood beside him
Angelina Jolie (left) and her son Maddox (right) enter the state dinner last month with South Korea
When Modi came into power, Obama didn’t hold a state dinner for the leader, but they did appear at several summits together.
Trump’s relationship with Modi was described as a ‘bromance’ as the two leaders traveled to each other’s countries for large-scale events.
There was the Howdy Modi rally in Houston in 2019.
Trump traveled to Texas to take part in it – with a estimated crowd of 50,000.
In turn, Trump took a quick trip to India in February 2020, just weeks before the pandemic brought the globe to a standstill.
Dubbed Namaste Trump, the president, first lady Melania Trump and Modi headlined a rally in Ahmedabad with an estimated crowd size of 125,000.
Modi (left) and Trump (right) arrive to attend Namaste Modi in Ahmedabad, India in February 2020, which reportedly attracted a crowd of 125,000
Since taking office in 2021, Biden has elevated the Quad – a diplomatic partnership between the U.S., India, Australia and Japan.
He’ll next meet with the group during his trip to Australia later this month.
Biden will meet Modi on the trip during a brief stopover Papua New Guinea, which is hosting a Pacific Islands leaders meeting.
The U.S.’s relationship with India is particularly important as China cozies up to Russia amid the Ukraine war – a move that has unnerved Indian leaders.
Ukrainian officials have called on India to play a bigger role in ending the Russian invasion.
In the White House’s announcement, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the dinner will affirm the ‘warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together.’
‘The visit will strengthen our two countries’ shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defense, clean energy, and space,’ he statement said.
‘The leaders will discuss ways to further expand our educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as our work together to confront common challenges from climate change, to workforce development and health security,’ Jean-Pierre added.
Asked about the visit, and whether the ‘optics’ were ‘problematic’ because Modi has been accused of human rights violations and because India still does business with Russia, Jean-Pierre said the state visit would allow the president to press Modi on human rights.
‘As it relates to human rights as I just laid out, this is a conversation that we have with other nations around the world,’ Jean-Pierre offered. ‘The president never shies away to have that conversation with leaders.’
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