Donald Trump holds State Dinner for Scott Morrison
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been joined by billionaires, sports stars and government officials at a glitzy White House as President Trump hosts his second state dinner in three years. SEE THE PHOTOS
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A glittering crowd of American and Australian luminaries gathered under the stars in the White House Rose Garden as President Donald Trump Prime Minister Scott Morrison celebrated “a hundred years of mateship”.
The President and First Lady Melania Trump greeted Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife, Jenny, with handshakes and kisses on the steps of the White House.
Meanwhile, the worlds of politics, media and even sports collided as a stream of administration members from both countries, aides, politicians and even golfer Greg Norman headed outside for the open-air dinner.
It is only the second such dinner President Trump has hosted for a foreign leader during his three years in office.
This comes after an afternoon news conference in the grand East Room, Trump said he and the prime minister “talked about everything you can talk about,” including military issues and trade. Morrison said he and the president share a “passion for jobs” and he commended Trump for his record on job creation.
The 173 guests who joined them to dine al fresco in the historic Rose Garden included mining magnates Gina Rinehart and Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest and Australian astronaut Andy Thomas.
Mrs Morrison wore a Carla Zampatti dress while the First Lady wore a J. Mendel aqua silk chiffon gown.
The Trumps welcomed the Morrisons earlier in the day for the state visit with a spirited arrival ceremony on the South Lawn.
The welcome featured Marine band performances of the two nations’ anthems, a 19-gun salute and inspection of U.S. troops.
Hundreds of guests, including schoolchildren waving miniature Australian and American flags were on hand to welcome them.
INSIDE THE STATE DINNER
After the arrival ceremony, President Trump and Mr Morrison went inside to begin their talks, the wives went to the Green Room for tea and White House staff began the work of transforming the famous garden just outside the Oval Office into the best open-air dining venue in town — if only for one night.
Guests sat at a mix of round and rectangular tables draped in alternating yellow and green tablecloths in tribute to Australia’s national colours and dine on sunchoke ravioli, Dover sole and apple tart a la mode. Temporary flooring was laid over the grass.
Dinner centrepieces featured more than 2,500 yellow California roses and Australia’s national flower, the golden wattle, while the garden itself will be decorated with white and yellow roses. Musical groups from the U.S. military will provide entertainment.
“It’s so beautiful and it will be so different,” Trump said earlier about his first state dinner in more than a year, noting that he had watched a rehearsal.
“And we look up to the skies and we’re just going to hope that it’s not going to rain. And if it is, that’s OK, too, because that will work out also.”
Mr Morrison thanked President Trump for the “tremendous honour.”
The long list of guests stopped to comment on Mr Morrison’s US trip on the way inside.
Golfer Greg Norman said he wanted to get the President, who is one of his close friends, to visit Australia in the future.
He also defended the President’s golfing habits.
“Nobody can golf too much.” he said.
South Australian former NASA astronaut Andy Thomas described the 2024 moon mission as “ambitious”.
“From an engineering point of view it might get there, but it is the political view that is the big challenge,” he told reporters at the White House, where he was “humbled” to attend the state dinner.
He described Adelaide’s involvement as “fabulous”.
“It is not just from Adelaide, it is Australia,” he said.
“It is a paradigm shift for Australia, it is one of the most popular things I have ever heard of. “It is wonderful.”
The Australian ambassador to the US, Joe Hockey, said the official trip had been “fantastic”.
“Our hosts have been amazing,” he said. “It will be a great night for Australia.”
Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart said the mining deals were “important”.
“And there is a lot more to go,” he said.
Businessman Anthony Pratt attended the dinner and said it was a “great honour” to have President Trump and Mr Morrison visit his Ohio factory on the weekend.
Senior White House officials also attended including Vice President Mike Pence.
Lachlan Murdoch, CEO of Fox Corp, and his wife Sarah attended, while his father, Rupert Murdoch sits out this dinner, a Fox representative said. The elder Murdoch was a guest at the White House state dinner for Australia some 13 years ago.
Observers said it was unusual seeing so many senior officials for a White House dinner.
As for what gifts were exchanged, the Trump administration gave Mr Morrison and his wife an archival hand-bound leather photo album.
The calfskin leather photo album has a 300-year lifespan and was produced specifically for their US visit.
Mr Morrison gave President Trump a model of USS Canberra, showcasing the American and Australian flags.
He also gave him a framed Map of the Battle of the Coral Sea. Mrs Trump gave Mrs Morrison a Tiffany & Co. Infinity Cuff in a leather jewelry box.
TRUMP CALLS SCOMO ‘MAN OF TITANIUM’
Earlier in the day, the US President described Mr Morrison as a “man of titanium” in their first White House meeting as the two leaders try to avoid a new war in the Middle East and resolve Chinese trade wars.
The two leaders held a chaotic press briefing in the Presidential Oval Office where the pair traded compliments and talked up their formal meetings during the PM’s official state visit.
But in reference to former president George W. Bush’s “man of steel” label for John Howard — the last Australian leader bestowed a state visit — Mr Trump upped his metals when asked to describe Mr Morrison.
“I would say a man of titanium — titanium is much tougher than steel, he is a man of titanium,” he told reporters while flanked by their wives First Lady Melania Trump and Jenny Morrison.
“I think he is a nice guy. OK. A man of real real strength and a great guy.”
As they faced the whirring from photographers, a galaxy of television cameras and microphones as well journalists’ shouting questions, Mr Trump said he wanted to travel to Australia later in the year for official business and some golf.
“Love to do it. Nothing more exciting than having it in Australia,” he said.
At the start of their meeting, the US announced tough new sanctions against Iran and its national bank — described as the “highest ever”.
But the pair downplayed immediate need for military action as they both urged “restraint”. Australia has so far agreed to a limited contribution to the US-led freedom of navigation operation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“I think the United State has taken a very measured, calibrated approach to date,” Mr Morrison said.
“The thing about our partnership … it is about our national interests. We have good conversations about these things.
“We never get ahead of ourselves with these things. We take this one step at a time. We keep talking to each other, that is what we have always done … and we are going to keep doing it.”
Mr Trump said a “natural instinct” was to “maybe I have to hold myself back”.
“The easiest thing I could do, in fact I could do it right here, is go ahead fellas, do it, and that would be a very bad day for Iran. That is the easiest thing I could do, so easy. There are others who say they should do it.
“Let’s see what happens. It will take place in one minute, I could do it front of you right now. Then you would have a nice big story to report. And I think it shows far more strength … next week, three doesn’t matter any different.
“Strong persons approach and the thing that does strength is showing a little bit of restraint. Much easier to do it the other way — much easier, and Iran knows if they misbehave they are on borrowed time.
“They are not doing well. Far worse than they have done before. Riots in their streets. Solve it very quickly. Restraint is a good thing.”
While Mr Morrison urged openness with China and for the US to resolve its damaging trade war, Mr Trump described the country as a “threat to the whole world”.
Mr Trump later told a press conference that he would not try to seek a trade deal before next year’s Presidential elections.
He said only a “complete” deal with China on trade will be acceptable and his tough approach won support from Mr Morrison.
“I’m not looking for a partial deal. I’m looking for a complete deal,” Mr Trump told reporters during a joint news conference with the PM in the White House east room.
He also praised Australian mining and said the exploration of critical minerals, or rich deposits.
Mr Trump and his wife had earlier welcomed Mr Morrison and his wife, Jenny, to the White House with a pomp-filled military arrival ceremony on the South Lawn.
The President praised the very important and “unwavering” friendship that was based in “history, culture and tradition”.
He said the Australians were “very resilient”.
Mr Trump spoke of a “cherished relationship” between the two countries and said he and Mrs Trump were looking forward to hosting the Morrisons for the state dinner: “It will be quite something.”
Mr Trump spoke of the “unbreakable bond” that is rooted in “history, culture and tradition” and commemorated the “100 years of mateship” — last year, US and Australia marked 100 years since the two countries’ troops fought alongside each other in WWI.
The two countries share “Common customs, common values, common dreams and common heroes,” Mr Trump said.
He also spoke of the two countries fighting “communism, fascism and radical Islamic terrorism.”
With their two wives flanked next to them, the pair said they would be talking about Iran and China which was a “threat to the world”.
President Trump announced sanctions on the Bank if Iran but downplayed any military action.
Hundreds gathered under clear blue skies for the welcoming ceremony as children waved miniature Australian and US flags.
The ceremony included Marine band performances of the national anthem of both countries and a 19-gun salute and inspection of troops.
Mr Morrison is just the second world leader to be granted the high diplomatic honour of a state visit during the Trump administration.
As he arrived in Washington, Mr Morrison said he looked forward to celebrating 100 years of “mateship” between the US and Australia.
“There are many larger, I suppose, more powerful friends that America has, but they know that they do not have a more sure and steadfast friend than Australia,” he told reporters who accompanied him to Washington. “And so I’m looking forward to spending time with our American friends here over the next few days and celebrating our tremendous relationship.” Mr Trump and Mr Morrison will spend part of Sunday together when they tour a new, Australian-owned manufacturing facility in Ohio.
Beyond socialising, the leaders plan talks on military, intelligence and economic issues, focusing on the Indo-Pacific region.
They intend to sign a memorandum of understanding to further US and Australia co-operation in space, according to a senior administration official.
Mr Morrison said the space race and moon missions were remarkable achievement, adding: “Indeed, we are going back”.
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Mr Trump and Mr Morrison also will discuss how to ensure a stable market and supply of minerals known as rare earths, which are widely used in electric cars and mobile phones, the official said.
They will roll out programs for the countries to work together on recycling ocean plastics, which harm marine wildlife and fishing, said the official, who was not authorised to provide details of the meetings and spoke only on condition of anonymity.
Australia last received the high diplomatic honour of a US state visit in 2006, when President George W. Bush feted Prime Minister John Howard.
TRUMP, SCOMO AGREE ON REACHING CHINA DEAL
In a joint press conference held at the White House at noon on Friday (2:00am AEST), Mr Trump reiterated that Australia was “a brilliant ally” both Mr Trump and Mr Morrison said they were committed to making a deal with China.
“You have a truly great country and I don’t think we’ve had a better relationship than we do right now,” Mr Trump told Mr Morrison. “Your numbers are fantastic, your economy is strong like ours.”
Mr Trump called the US trade war with China “a little spat”.
“We could do a very big deal with China and it could go very quickly but … we want to do it right,” said Mr Trump.
“We’re keen to see the US and China be able to come to an agreement,” said Mr Morrison.
“Deals have got to be fair deals, good deals, and sustainable deals,” he said.
Mr Morrison said that China is approaching a new generation of trading and needs to address issues such as intellectual property.
He said that “stability in the region” is mandatory for healthy trade, and that he regarded the US as a “positive influence”.
Mr Morrison suggested that Australia is strong enough to weather global “ebbs and flows” having built up “resilience” through 29 consecutive years of economic growth.
He said he is confident that Mr Trump will come to an agreement with China and that when the US arrives at a suitable deal it will put “global trade on a stronger footing.”
“Australia has never got rich selling things to itself,” said Mr Morrison.
“We’ve always had an outward-looking perspective.”
Mr Morrison applauded Mr Trump’s jobs growth.
“One of the many things that the president and I share in common is a passion for jobs. Jobs change people’s lives, and Australia and the United States — we’re committed to creating jobs. … We want people to have those opportunities.”