President
Obama threw a glitzy party on Saturday night with performances by Stevie
Wonder and Prince - and despite guests excitedly sharing details of the
event on social media, the White House has come over all modest about
the star-studded line-up.
Press
Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed earlier this week that Obama and First
Lady Michelle held a private party and paid for it themselves - but the
cost was not revealed.
Earnest
said: 'The president and the first lady reserve the right to hold
private parties at the White House, and they did it on their own dime.'
The White House refused to comment on the entertainment but guests like Reverend Al Sharpton broadcast the details for them.
The
Reverend tweeted on Sunday, a half hour after midnight: 'Leaving the
White House party w/POTUS and FLOTUS. Awesome to see Prince and Stevie
Wonder on keyboards together. Unbelievable experience.'
A reported 500 lobbyists, corporate executives, celebrities and other guests attended the event.
'The
president and the first lady have had the opportunity to make lots of
friends, and many of them were invited to a private party on Saturday
night,' Earnest also said of the party.
The event was not included on the President’s public schedule.
Details of
the event became known only after some of the participants, including
Sharpton and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, wrote about
the event on social media.
Wilson,
who attended the event with his date Ciara, wrote on Instagram:
'Dancing at The White House to Prince & Stevie Wonder w/ my lady
Ciara. Thanks Mr. President and First Lady #Isn'tSheLovely #Blessed'
Director Ava DuVernay dubbed it 'one of the best house parties I’ve ever been to' on Twitter.
Prince had performed in Washington D.C. earlier on Saturday at the Warner Theater.
While
the President returned to work after their glamorous Saturday night,
the First Lady jetted off on a trip to Europe with daughters Sasha and
Malia and her mother, Marian Robinson.
Michelle
Obama was on a whistle-stop tour to highlight her campaign to bring
girls in the world's most impoverished communities into education.
After
taking tea with Prince Harry in the UK and meeting the British PM,
David Cameron, it was then on to Italy on Thursday for the next leg of
the European tour.
No comments:
Post a Comment