President Barack Obama attended a birthday party in Martha's Vineyard on Wednesday evening, the same night protests in Ferguson, Missouri, escalated after the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager who was shot and killed by a police officer last week.
According to a White House spokesman, "a good time was had by all."
Read the full White House press release from a pool report below:
From Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz:
Tonight, the President and First Lady attended the birthday celebration for Mrs. Ann Jordan at an event at the Farm Neck Golf Club. There were approximately 150 guests in attendance.
Among the attendees seated with the Jordans and the President and First Lady were former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Valerie Jarrett and her mother Mrs. Barbara Bowman, Ursula Burns, Kenneth Chenault and his wife Kathy, along with other friends and family of Mrs. Jordan. President Obama honored Mrs. Jordan with a toast before dinner, as did Mr. Jordan and Secretary Clinton and others. The President and First Lady have known the Jordans for over twenty years, and were grateful to have been able to share this special evening with them.
The President and First Lady also were happy to have the chance to spend time with Secretary Clinton and former President Clinton.
A little color: in his toast for Mrs. Jordan, President quipped that he met Vernon and first, but liked Ann more. The menu consisted of surf and turf and pasta. The Obamas danced nearly every song. A good time was had by all.Sent from my iPhone
A request for comment about the events in Ferguson was not immediately returned by the White House.
UPDATE -- Eric Schultz, a White House spokesman, issued this response on Twitter Thursday morning:
CORRECTION: This article has been edited to correct the last name of the teenager slain by police in Missouri. He was Michael Brown.