Lawmakers, Hollywood collide at White House state dinner for Kenya’s Ruto

Worlds collided at the White House as everyone — from former President Clinton and Hillary Clinton to actor Sean Penn, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and “Reading Rainbow’s” LeVar Burton — arrived for the state dinner for Kenya.

The Clintons smiled and held hands as they posed for photos at Thursday’s black-tie soiree, the sixth state dinner of the Biden administration, held in honor of Kenyan President William Ruto.

When asked what the best thing about returning to the White House was, the 42nd president grinned and exclaimed to ITK, “I like the girl behind you!” The former commander in chief was pointing to a 2003 portrait of his wife hanging in the Booksellers Room of the White House. He expressed a similar sentiment last month at the Japanese state dinner when he caught a glimpse of the former secretary of State’s portrait.

Former President Obama was also eyed sporting a tux and briefly attending the dinner, although wasn’t included on the official guest list released by the White House.

Brad Paisley, one of the night’s entertainers along with the Howard Gospel Choir, said he’d kick off his performance with his 2009 hit “American Saturday Night.”

“But then all bets are off,” he quipped as he stood with his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley. “We’ll see how it goes.”

ITK asked Burton, who hosted the classic children’s show “Reading Rainbow” from 1983 to 2006, what word of the day would describe the current political climate.

“Just one? Can I swear?” Burton, 67, cracked.

When told it was a free country, he replied, “Yeah, but I’m the ‘Reading Rainbow’ guy.”

“It’s fraught … with possibility,” he said, adding, “That’s three words.”

Other high-profile figures weren’t as chatty — Goodell declined to answer any questions, including his reaction to Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s controversial commencement speech. Academy Award winner Penn, Vice President Harris and actor Wilmer Valderrama also posed for photos without replying to questions from members of the press. 

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) brought his mother to the swanky event, describing her as the “greatest woman in the world.” The New Jersey Democrat also gave his mom a brief lesson about posing for photographers in front of a step and repeat, quipping to her, “This is where we show them how sexy we are.”

Other notable attendees at the event, which marked the first state dinner at the White House for an African nation since 2008, included: Huma Abedin, Naomi Biden and Peter Neal, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, “American Pie” singer Don McLean, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Chasten Buttigieg, Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Melinda French Gates, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Reps. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Sheryl Sandberg, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Updated May 24 at 7:19 a.m. EDT