President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko Kishida by the Grand Staircase for tonight’s state dinner at the White House. pic.twitter.com/H5YeaH2C0i
— Reda (@RedaMor_) April 11, 2024
STAR TREK STATE DINNER:
Japan PM Fumio Kishida: "Let me conclude with the line from Star Trek: To boldly go where no one has gone before. By the way, @GeorgeTakei who played Hikaru Sulu, the helmsman of the USS Enterprise, also has roots in Hiroshima … Boldly go. Cheers!" pic.twitter.com/FJGPRdMH5K
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) April 11, 2024
Per the Associated Press:
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida cracked jokes and invoked a touchstone of American culture as he quoted from “Star Trek” at Wednesday’s state dinner, telling guests at the White House that he hoped the “unshakable relationship” between his country and the U.S. would “boldly go where no one had gone before.”…
Kishida, who spoke in English, and President Joe Biden exchanged warm toasts to each other and the decades-long, alliance between their nations as top figures from business, sports and politics — including an ex-president — looked on. The two leaders, who expressed a genuine friendship, pledged to continue to knit together their countries’ interests in the face of global challenges.
Biden, 81, said he and Kishida, 66, came of age as their countries forged a strong bond in the decades after they were pitted against each other in World War II.
“We both remember the choices that were made to forge a friendship,” Biden said. “We both remember the hard work, what it has done to find healing.”
“Tonight,” Biden continued, “We pledge to keep going.”…
Among those at head table with Bidens and Kishidas for Japan state dinner: Hunter Biden's daughter Finnegan, Hillary and Bill Clinton, fruits and nuts billionaires Lynda and Stewart Resnick, singer Ikuta Lilas, Robert De Niro, US ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel's daughter Ilana,… pic.twitter.com/ndh7qoJw0c
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 11, 2024
Late Night Open Thread: The State Dinner for Prime Minister KishidaPost + Comments (88)