U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the start of an Iftar dinner at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 6, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

WASHINGTON, June 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday held his first iftar dinner at the White House, joining the gathering after dozens of guests broke fast with their first course.

He said in prepared remarks that Ramadan was "a great month."

The White House did not release a full guest list for the event, but according to a handful of reporters present, the invitees mostly consisted of U.S. government officials and diplomats from Muslim countries.

The event was the first for Trump, who last year broke with the decades-long tradition at the White House to host members of the U.S. Muslim community to celebrate Ramadan.

Despite the effort, Trump was still criticized for his anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies seen during his presidential campaign and his tenure.

Also after his inauguration, he has vigorously pushed for a ban on travelers from several Muslim majority countries.

In response to the iftar dinner, dozens of people gathered across the street from the White House to protest against Trump's anti-Muslim policies. Bilal Askaryar, an activist, said, "No one in the Muslim community can look at his actions and think that he is a friend."

Iftar is a dinner held every day in the month of Ramadan by Muslims after their daily fast. The food at the iftar meal is especially abundant and carefully prepared.