Trump lunches with Washington elite after bashing them

WASHINGTON — Less than an hour after President Trump blasted Washington insiders on the steps of the Capitol, he schmoozed with a bipartisan group of them — including Bill and Hillary Clinton — over lobster, steak and chocolate soufflé.

The traditional inaugural lunch took place under the Capitol dome shortly after Trump and Vice President Pence took the oath of office. More than 200 guests had a three-course lunch — complete with California wine pairing — to honor the peaceful transition of power.

Trump, Pence and their families dined with former presidents, members of the Supreme Court, congressional leadership, Cabinet nominees and at least one mega GOP donor. But the real surprise guest was the woman Trump had spent much of the past year in a brutal back-and-forth with — former secretary of State Clinton.

Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, attended the inauguration ceremony and luncheon. They got a standing ovation after Trump announced he was “very honored” that they had come during the lunch.

On a day Clinton had once thought would be honoring her, whoever made the the seating chart didn't attempt to blunt her loss. Instead, she was seated with two members of Trump's immediate family. The Clintons’ table included Trump’s daughter Tiffany Trump and his sister Maryanne Trump Barry. Trump’s nominee for Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, also joined them.

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But despite the potential for awkwardness, the strange bunch seemed to have a nice time. Tiffany Trump and Hillary Clinton were seen chatting and Bill Clinton was gabbing with Sandy Cornyn, wife of Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas.

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For a bunch of politicians who regularly rail against the opposition party in public, most people seemed happy to chat across the aisle away from the public eye.

Former president Jimmy Carter and Trump’s Interior secretary nominee, Ryan Zinke, talked for much of the meal. Eventually Zinke, a Republican congressman from Montana, went and crouched down beside Hillary Clinton, and later he talked to Bill Clinton.

Assistant Democratic Leader Patty Murray of Washington sat beside Trump senior adviser Jared Kushner (husband of Trump’s daughter, Ivanka), and the two were engaged in conversation through much of the meal.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who is a conservative Democrat up for re-election in 2018 in a state that voted for Trump, spent a significant amount of time talking to Trump and Pence. Moments later he went up to Bill Clinton and the two spoke in the corner.

But there weren’t any conversations that could rival the one between the new president and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

There were two people in between Trump and Schumer — Melania Trump and Abigail Blunt, the wife of Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, who was chairman of Inaugural Ceremonies — but that didn’t stop Trump and Schumer from talking. And talking. And talking.

Trump and Schumer were engaged in an animated conversation through most of the meal only stopping when people came up to talk, but even then the breaks were brief.

They leaned so far toward each other that at certain points of the conversation Blunt wasn’t even able to access her plate of food.

Trump and Schumer — both New Yorkers — are a pair to keep an eye on as the new administration takes over.

They have not minced words when talking about one another. Trump has called Schumer “head clown” and Schumer has been highly critical of Trump’s statements and policies, but they also have forged a unique bond.

Schumer said that Trump said he liked him better than the Republican leadership — though he cautioned that he was skeptical of efforts of flattery — and the two have some common legislative goals like infrastructure. Trump joked during his comments that he hoped Schumer would allow his Cabinet nominees to be quickly confirmed.