Paul Simon Sings ‘Graceland’ At White House State Dinner – Update (2024)

UPDATE: Paul Simon performed “Graceland” at the White House State Dinner for Japan‘s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Kishida Yuko.

Kishida also made a Star Trek reference at one moment, using the phrase, “To boldly go where no one has gone before,” then naming cast member George Takei.

PREVIOUSLY: Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are making a return visit to the White House as guests at tonight’s White House State Dinner for Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Kishida Yuko.

Also on the list: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, Apple’s Tim Cook, actor Robert De Niro and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. Los Angeles notables include Lynda Resnick and Stewart Resnick, and journalists invited include NBC News’ Kelly O’Donnell, president of the White House Correspondents Association, and photographer David Ake.

Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, is also a guest with with Amy Rule, along with children Zach and Ilana. Not attending is Emanuel’s brother, Ari, CEO of WME.

Paul Simon will perform at the dinner.

As he arrived, De Niro, with girlfriend Tiffany Chen, was asked how he felt about the 2024 election. “What do you think?” he said, per a pool report.

The complete list:

THE PRESIDENT AND DR. BIDEN

HIS EXCELLENCY KISHIDA FUMIO, PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN & MRS. KISHIDA YUKO

Mr. Akiba Takeo, National Security Advisor

Mr. Arima Yutaka, Director-General, North-American Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Ayase

Mr. Ajay Banga & Mrs. Ritu Banga

The Honorable John Bass, Acting Under Secretary for Political Affairs, U.S. Department of State & Ms. Audrey Hsieh

The Honorable Stephen K. Benjamin, Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement& Miss Jordan Grace Benjamin

The HonorableAnthony R. Bernal,Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the First Lady& Mr. Brian Mosteller

Mr. Jeff Bezos & Ms. Lauren Sánchez

Ms. Ashley Biden & Dr. Howard Krein

Ms. Finnegan Biden

Ms. Naomi Biden Neal & Mr. Peter Neal

The Honorable Richard T. Bissen, Jr., Mayor of Maui County, Hawaii & Mrs. Isabella Bissen

The Honorable Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State & The Honorable Evan M. Ryan, Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary

Mr. Neil Bluhm & Ms. Leslie Bluhm

Mr. Brent Booker & Dr. Katherine Booker

General Charles Q. Brown Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Department of Defense & Mrs. Sharene Brown

The Honorable Bill Burns, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency & Ms. Sarah Burns

The Honorable Kurt M. Campbell, Deputy Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State & The Honorable Lael Brainard, Assistant to the President and Director of the National Economic Council

The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton, 42^ndPresident of the United States & The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton, 67^thSecretary of State of the United States

The Honorable David Cohen, Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency & Ms. Suzy Friedman Cohen

Mr. Tim Cook & Ms. Lisa Jackson

The Honorable Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina & Mrs. Kristin Cooper

The Honorable Diana DeGette, U.S. Representative & The Honorable Lino Lipinsky de Orlov

Mr. Robert De Niro & Ms. Tiffany Chen

Mr. James Dimon & Mrs. Judy Dimon

Mr. Michael C. Donilon & Mrs. Patricia Donilon

Ms. Ilana Emanuel

The Honorable Rahm Emanuel, Ambassador of the United States to Japan & Ms. Amy Rule

Mr. Zachariah Emanuel

The Honorable Tony Evers, Governor of Wisconsin & Mrs. Kathy Evers

Mr. Fred Eychaner & Mr. Danny Leung

Mr. Shawn Fain & Mrs. Stella Fain

The Honorable Jon Finer, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor &
Ms. TJ Fadel

Mr. Laurence Fink

Mr. Bill Freeman & Mr. Tom Loftis

Dr. Funabashi Yoichi

Mr. Funakoshi Takehiro, Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs

Ms. SusieGelman & Mr. Michael Gelman

Ms. Xochitl Gonzalez & Mr. Daniel Lubrano

Mr. Robert Goodman & Ms. Jayne Lipman

The Honorable Philip Gordon, Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President of the United States & The Honorable Rebecca Lissner, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President

Admiral Chris Grady, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Department of Defense & Mrs. Christine Grady

The Honorable Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy & Mr. Daniel Mulhern

Mr. Jon Gray & Mrs. Mindy Gray

Mr. Rene Haas

The HonorableAvril D. Haines, Director of National Intelligence & Mr. David Davighi

The Honorable Bill Hagerty, U.S. Senator & Mrs. Chrissy Hagerty

The Honorable Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle, Washington & Mrs. Joanne Harrell

The Honorable Kamala D. Harris, Vice President of the United States & Mr. Douglas C. Emhoff, Second Gentleman of the United States

The Honorable Mazie Hirono, U.S. Senator & Mr. Leighton Kim Oshima

The Honorable Amos Hochstein, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Energy and Investment, National Security Council & Mrs. Rae Ringel

The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York & Mr. William Hochul

Mr. Hosaka Shin, Vice Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

Mr. Hoshide Akihiko

Mr. Amos Hostetter & Mrs. Barbara Hostetter

Mr. Iijima Isao, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Ms. Ikuta Lilas

Mrs. Amabel B. James & Mr. Ryan Petersen

The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives & Mrs. Kennisandra Jeffries

Her Excellency Kamikawa Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Mr. Katahira Satoshi

Mr. Katanozaka Shinya

Mr. Tony Kawai

Mr. Kobayashi Ken

Mr. Arvind Krishna & Mrs. Sonia Krishna

The Honorable Daniel J. Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State & Mrs. Nami Kritenbrink

Mr. Kunieda Shingo

Ms. Megan Myungwon Lee & Mr. Jeff Werner

The Honorable Mark Macarro, Tribal Chairman of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians & Mrs. Holly Macarro

Mr. Maeda Tadashi

Ms. Judy Marks & Mr. Chris Kearney

The Honorable Doris Matsui, U.S. Representative & Mr. Roger Sant

The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Homeland Security & Mrs. Tanya Mayorkas

Mr. David McCall & Mrs. Donna McCall

Mr. Sanjay Mehrotra & Mrs. Sangeeta Mehrotra

The Honorable Jeff Merkley, U.S. Senator & Ms. Brynne Merkley

Mr. Mikitani Hiroshi

His Excellency Moriyama Masahito, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Mr. Murai Hideki, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary

Ms. Ellen Nakashima & Mr. Alan Sipress

Ms. Mira Nakashima & Mr. Jonathan Yarnall

Ms. Niki Nakayama & Ms. Carole Iida-Nakayama

The Honorable Bill Nelson, Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration & Mrs. Grace Nelson

Mr. Niinami Takeshi

Ms. Kelly O’Donnell & Mr. J. David Ake

Dr. Okina Yuri

Mr. Ono Keiichi, Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs

Mr. Otsuru Tetsuya, Executive Secretary to the Prime Minister

The HonorableThomas E. Perez,Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs& Ms. Ann Marie Staudenmaier

The Honorable John D. Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation & Ms. Mae Podesta

The Honorable Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve of the United States & Mrs. Elissa Leonard

The HonorableNatalieH. Quillian,Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff& Mr. Ryan Quillian

The HonorableGina Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce & Mr. Andy Moffit

The Honorable Mira Rapp-Hooper, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for East Asia and Oceania, National Security Council & Mr. Matthew Brest

The HonorableBruce N. Reed,Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff& Ms. Bonnie LePard

Mrs. Lynda Resnick & Mr. Stewart Resnick

The HonorableSteveRicchetti,Assistant to the President and Counselor to the President& Mrs. Amy Ricchetti

Ms. Cecile Richards & Mr. Kirk Adams

Mr. Robert Roche & Mrs. Ritsuko Hattori Roche

Mr. Josh Rogin & Mrs. Ali Rogin

Mr. Ethan Rosenzweig, Acting Chief of Protocol, U.S. Department of State

Mr. Michael J. Sacks & Mrs. Cari Sacks

His Excellency Saito Ken, Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry

Mr. Sawada Jun

Mr. Serizawa Kiyoshi, Vice Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Defense

The Honorable Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania & Mrs. Lori Shapiro

Mr. Alex Hideo Shibutani

Ms. Maia Harumi Shibutani

Mr. Shikata Noriyuki, Cabinet Secretary for Public Affairs

Mr. Shimada Takashi, Executive Secretary to the Prime Minister

Mr. Brad Smith & Mr. Gregory Smith

Mr. Masayoshi Son

Mr. Robert Michael Stavis & Mrs. Amy Stavis

The Honorable Jake J. Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs& Ms. Maggie Goodlander

The HonorableKatherine Tai, United States Trade Representative & Mr. Robert Skidmore

The Honorable Mark Takano, U.S. Representative & Mr. Glen f*ckushima

The HonorableLinda Thomas-Greenfield, Representativeof the United States of Americato the United Nations & Mr. Lafayette Greenfield, II

The Honorable Jill Tokuda, U.S. Representative & Ms. Susan Morita

Ms. Maria D. Toler & Ms. Casey Albert

The Honorable Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff & Mr. Ray Tomasini

Ms. Ueno Yukiko

The Honorable Pranay Vaddi, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Arms Control, Disarmament, and Nonproliferation, National Security Council & Mrs. Megan Vaddi

The Honorable Richard Verma, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, U.S. Department of State & Ms. Zoe Verma

The HonorableLorraine A. Voles,Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to theVice President& Ms. Ruby Smith

Mr. Kent Walker & Ms. Diana Walsh

Mr. Mark Walter & Mrs. Kimbra Walter

The Honorable Steven Westly & Mrs. Anita Yu Westly

Mr. Eugene Woods & Ms. Lauren Wooden

His Excellency Yamada Shigeo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the United States

Ms. Kristi Yamaguchi & Ms. Yukiko Saegusa

Mr. Yamamoto Takayoshi, Executive Secretary to the Prime Minister of Japan

The Honorable Janet L. Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Treasury & The Honorable Adewale Adeyemo, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Treasury

Mr. David Zapolsky & Ms. Lynn Hubbard

The Honorable Jeff Zients,Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the President & Mrs. Mary Zients