Diplomacy in Action
Blair House serves as a site for American diplomacy in action. In addition to functioning as the President’s Guest House for visiting foreign leaders, Blair House is a stage for a multitude of internationally focused events that help to advance America’s relationship with foreign nations.
Such events have included a summit of the G-8 Foreign Ministers, hosted in 2012 by then Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and many initiatives for the Washington Diplomatic Corps hosted by the Chief of Protocol, including “State of the Administration” briefings by Cabinet members and White House officials, and cultural and culinary exchanges for foreign diplomats and their families. President Obama hosted a healthcare summit with congressional leaders at Blair House in 2010.
Blair House is the residence of the president-elect in the days prior to moving into the White House. Blair House also serves as a residence for the family of a deceased former President during a state funeral. It is at Blair House where the family receives condolence calls from former Presidents and First Ladies, foreign leaders, and friends.
A typical schedule for Blair House in a calendar year may include up to thirty visits by foreign leaders, multiple foreign policy–related luncheons, dinners, receptions and teas, and countless official meetings, all of which underscore the unique diplomatic role of the President’s Guest House.
Diplomatic Affairs Gallery
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visiting with guest impersonators of President Lincoln and President Truman in the Lincoln Room at Blair House during a special celebration on November 21, 2017 recognizing the 75th Anniversary of Blair House's designation as the President's Guest House.
On Tuesday, September 15, 2020, the cabinet meeting table from the Lee Dining Room at Blair House, used by President Harry Truman when he was in residence at Blair House during the renovation of the White House (1948-52), traveled to the White House on an important diplomatic mission to serve as President Trump's signing table for the historic Abraham Accords Peace Agreement, which normalized ties between the State of Israel and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the Kingdom of Bahrain. Discussions charting the progress of diplomacy embodied in the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine, as well as pivotal decisions - America's entry into the Korean War, desegregation of our armed forces - were conducted and finalized around this dining table.
February 15, 2013: Secretary of State John Kerry greets His Excellency Giorgio Napolitano, President of the Italian Republic. Photographer: Michael Gross, U.S. Department of State
June 12, 2012: His Excellency Shimon Peres, President of the State of Israel, in the Library. Photographer: Shmulik Almany
February 1, 2012: The Garden Room set up for G-8 Sherpa meetings. Photographer: Alfonso Diaz
May 10, 2010: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton hosts a dinner in honor of His Excellency Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Photographer: Michael Gross, U.S. Department of State
February 25, 2010: President Barack Obama hosts a bipartisan meeting with House and Senate leaders to discuss health insurance reform legislation. Photographer: Pete Souza, White House
January 20, 2009: President-elect Barack Obama signs the Blair House Guest Book. Photographer: Pete Souza, White House
May 7, 2007: President and Mrs. Bush escort Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh back to Blair House following the White House Arrival Ceremony. Photographer: Eric Draper, George W. Bush Library
January 1, 2007: Former First Lady Betty Ford receives former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton along with former President Bill Clinton prior to the State Funeral of former President Gerald R. Ford. Photographer: David Kennerly, Gerald R. Ford Library
January 1, 2007: Former First Lady Betty Ford receives former President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter prior to the State Funeral of former President Gerald R. Ford. Photographer: David Kennerly, Gerald R. Ford Library
January 1, 2007: Former First Lady Betty Ford receives former President and Barbara Bush and former President and Laura Bush, along with Susan Ford Bales and Mike Ford, prior to the State Funeral of former President Gerald R. Ford. Photographer: David Kennerly, Gerald R. Ford Library