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On this day, August 28, 2014, America lived through its most unspeakably horrifying day of shame.
Last edited Sun May 5, 2024, 08:36 AM - Edit history (3)
Morning Mix
{Six} years ago, Obama was blasted for wearing a tan suit. Now, it’s used to contrast him with Trump.
President Barack Obama takes questions at a news conference on Aug. 28, 2014, which was remembered largely for the tan suit he wore. (Charles Dharapak/AP)
By Antonia Noori Farzan
August 28, 2019 at 6:56 a.m. EDT
Ronald Reagan wore tan suits during his presidency. So did Dwight D. Eisenhower, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
But on Aug. 28, 2014, when President Barack Obama showed up for a White House news conference dressed in beige, the light-colored suit became a matter of national import. Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.) fumed that the suit pointed to a “lack of seriousness” on the president’s part, cable news shows held roundtable discussions, fashion critics and image consultants weighed in, and TV news reporters conducted man-on-the-street interviews to find out what the people of Northeast Ohio thought of the controversial look.
Five years later, however, Tan Suit Gate has taken on a different meaning, coming to symbolize the relative dearth of scandals during the Obama administration. On social media, just about every news item about potential conflicts of interests within the Trump administration and the president’s flouting of norms is met with some variant of “Remember when Obama wore a tan suit?” In the past week alone, the tan suit comparison has been leveled against President Trump’s assertion that he is “the chosen one,” his demand that U.S. companies leave China, and his desire to hold next year’s Group of Seven summit at his Florida golf resort — just to name a few examples.
{snip}
Antonia Farzan
Antonia Noori Farzan is a reporter on The Washington Post's Morning Mix team. She previously worked at the Phoenix New Times. Follow https://twitter.com/antoniafarzan
{Six} years ago, Obama was blasted for wearing a tan suit. Now, it’s used to contrast him with Trump.
President Barack Obama takes questions at a news conference on Aug. 28, 2014, which was remembered largely for the tan suit he wore. (Charles Dharapak/AP)
By Antonia Noori Farzan
August 28, 2019 at 6:56 a.m. EDT
Ronald Reagan wore tan suits during his presidency. So did Dwight D. Eisenhower, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
But on Aug. 28, 2014, when President Barack Obama showed up for a White House news conference dressed in beige, the light-colored suit became a matter of national import. Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.) fumed that the suit pointed to a “lack of seriousness” on the president’s part, cable news shows held roundtable discussions, fashion critics and image consultants weighed in, and TV news reporters conducted man-on-the-street interviews to find out what the people of Northeast Ohio thought of the controversial look.
Five years later, however, Tan Suit Gate has taken on a different meaning, coming to symbolize the relative dearth of scandals during the Obama administration. On social media, just about every news item about potential conflicts of interests within the Trump administration and the president’s flouting of norms is met with some variant of “Remember when Obama wore a tan suit?” In the past week alone, the tan suit comparison has been leveled against President Trump’s assertion that he is “the chosen one,” his demand that U.S. companies leave China, and his desire to hold next year’s Group of Seven summit at his Florida golf resort — just to name a few examples.
{snip}
Antonia Farzan
Antonia Noori Farzan is a reporter on The Washington Post's Morning Mix team. She previously worked at the Phoenix New Times. Follow https://twitter.com/antoniafarzan
{Six} Years Later, Obama's Tan Suit 'Controversy' Seems More Ridiculous Than Ever
We've got bigger things to worry about, people.
By Elena Hilton
Aug 28, 2019
Update: This post was originally written in 2018. It's now been five whole years since the tan suit. The world has changed in that year. But when it comes to how ridiculous the controversy looks in hindsight, well, nothing's changed at all.
{snip}
We've got bigger things to worry about, people.
By Elena Hilton
Aug 28, 2019
Update: This post was originally written in 2018. It's now been five whole years since the tan suit. The world has changed in that year. But when it comes to how ridiculous the controversy looks in hindsight, well, nothing's changed at all.
{snip}
Obama's Tan Suit Steals the Spotlight at Press Conference
U.S. President Barack Obama makes a statement from the White House Press Briefing Room ahead of a meeting with his national security council in Washington, August 28, 2014. LARRY DOWNING / Reuters
Aug. 28, 2014, 5:01 PM EDT / Updated Aug. 28, 2014, 5:14 PM EDT
President Barack Obama held a press conference Thursday where he discussed important world issues, such as U.S. strategy for dealing with ISIS and growing tensions in Ukraine. But it was the president's outfit — not his words — that captured the attention of many viewers.
As soon as the president stepped up to the podium sporting a tan suit, jokes began to fly on Twitter.
{snip}
U.S. President Barack Obama makes a statement from the White House Press Briefing Room ahead of a meeting with his national security council in Washington, August 28, 2014. LARRY DOWNING / Reuters
Aug. 28, 2014, 5:01 PM EDT / Updated Aug. 28, 2014, 5:14 PM EDT
President Barack Obama held a press conference Thursday where he discussed important world issues, such as U.S. strategy for dealing with ISIS and growing tensions in Ukraine. But it was the president's outfit — not his words — that captured the attention of many viewers.
As soon as the president stepped up to the podium sporting a tan suit, jokes began to fly on Twitter.
{snip}
Joe.My.God. remembered too:
It’s The Fifth Anniversary Of Obama’s Tan Suit Day
August 28, 2019
The Washington Post reports:
Ronald Reagan wore tan suits during his presidency. So did Dwight D. Eisenhower, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. But on Aug. 28, 2014, when President Barack Obama showed up for a White House news conference dressed in beige, the light-colored suit became a matter of national import.
Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.) fumed that the suit pointed to a “lack of seriousness” on the president’s part, cable news shows held roundtable discussions, fashion critics and image consultants weighed in, and TV news reporters conducted man-on-the-street interviews to find out what the people of Northeast Ohio thought of the controversial look.
Five years later, however, Tan Suit Gate has taken on a different meaning, coming to symbolize the relative dearth of scandals during the Obama administration.
August 28, 2019
The Washington Post reports:
Ronald Reagan wore tan suits during his presidency. So did Dwight D. Eisenhower, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. But on Aug. 28, 2014, when President Barack Obama showed up for a White House news conference dressed in beige, the light-colored suit became a matter of national import.
Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.) fumed that the suit pointed to a “lack of seriousness” on the president’s part, cable news shows held roundtable discussions, fashion critics and image consultants weighed in, and TV news reporters conducted man-on-the-street interviews to find out what the people of Northeast Ohio thought of the controversial look.
Five years later, however, Tan Suit Gate has taken on a different meaning, coming to symbolize the relative dearth of scandals during the Obama administration.
Five years ago today, Barack Obama wore a tan suit, the biggest scandal in presidential history. #FYC
Link to tweet
Mon Aug 29, 2022: August 28, 2014: America's day of shame
Fri Aug 28, 2020: August 28, 2014: America's most unspeakably horrible day of shame. WARNING: SCANDALOUS IMAGE
Wed Aug 28, 2019, 10:10 AM: August 28, 2014: America's most unspeakably horrifying day of shame
The shame has clearly become part of the nation's collective unconscious. DUer demmiblue also remembered:
Wed Aug 28, 2019, 09:04 AM: In August 2014, a scandal like no other rocked the Obama presidency to its core...
5 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
The evil tan suit
Mon Aug 29, 2022: August 28, 2014: America's day of shame
Never forget.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/08/28/tan-suit-scandal-obama-trump/
Thu Aug 28, 2014: Nation distracted by president’s tan suit (NOT The Onion)
President Obama wore a tan suit on Thursday while talking about Ukraine and the Islamic State, and political Twitter promptly went nuts. Over the suit. You see, Obama has a tendency to wear gray or blue suits. "You'll see I wear only gray or blue suits," Obama told Vanity Fair in 2012. "I'm trying to pare down decisions. I don't want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make." But this suit was TAN. So, what message is he trying to send exactly? We consulted our in-house fashion expert -- Pulitzer prize winner Robin Givhan -- to answer just that question. "There is nothing wrong with that suit – well, except it’s a little big," Givhan said. "As they always are." She added:
It says more about official, federal, political Washington that anything other than a dark suit with a white shirt and red tie counts as some sort of aesthetic heresy. That is a conservative two-button suit in a color that is perfectly appropriate for the time of year and the occasion. This was not a 'formal' news conference. Honestly, people are responding like he showed up in Pharrell Williams' short suit. I'm appalled by the Twitter feeds.
The Twitter, you say? Well, yes, political Twitter did have a mini meltdown over the suit.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/08/28/nation-distracted-by-presidents-tan-suit/
Sometimes I truly wonder about the direction we as Americans are heading...
It says more about official, federal, political Washington that anything other than a dark suit with a white shirt and red tie counts as some sort of aesthetic heresy. That is a conservative two-button suit in a color that is perfectly appropriate for the time of year and the occasion. This was not a 'formal' news conference. Honestly, people are responding like he showed up in Pharrell Williams' short suit. I'm appalled by the Twitter feeds.
The Twitter, you say? Well, yes, political Twitter did have a mini meltdown over the suit.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/08/28/nation-distracted-by-presidents-tan-suit/
Sometimes I truly wonder about the direction we as Americans are heading...
Obama tan suit controversy
2:49 pm, August 28, 2014; Obama meeting with John F. Tefft, U.S. Ambassador to Russia, in the Oval Office.
On August 28, 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama held a live press conference on increasing the military response against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria while wearing a tan suit. Obama's appearance on television in the tan suit sparked significant attention and led to media and social media criticism. The issue remained prominent in the media for several days with the issue being particularly widely discussed on talk shows.
{snip}
Background
On August 28, 2014, Obama held a press conference about the situation regarding ISIS in Syria, and how the US military was planning to respond to it. At the conference, Obama said that the U.S. had yet to develop a plan regarding the removal of ISIS, and talked extensively about his concerns in the region. During the conference he wore a tan suit, which up until that point was uncommon for Obama to do.
{snip}
Immediate response
There was significant backlash from some conservative circles. Republican Representative Peter King of New York called Obama's wearing of the suit while talking about the economy instead of terrorism unpresidential, and stated that "There's no way, I don't think, any of us can excuse what the president did yesterday. I mean, you have the world watching." According to conservative Justin Sink of The Hill, most people viewed Obama's fashion choice to be a mistake.
{snip}
2:49 pm, August 28, 2014; Obama meeting with John F. Tefft, U.S. Ambassador to Russia, in the Oval Office.
On August 28, 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama held a live press conference on increasing the military response against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria while wearing a tan suit. Obama's appearance on television in the tan suit sparked significant attention and led to media and social media criticism. The issue remained prominent in the media for several days with the issue being particularly widely discussed on talk shows.
{snip}
Background
On August 28, 2014, Obama held a press conference about the situation regarding ISIS in Syria, and how the US military was planning to respond to it. At the conference, Obama said that the U.S. had yet to develop a plan regarding the removal of ISIS, and talked extensively about his concerns in the region. During the conference he wore a tan suit, which up until that point was uncommon for Obama to do.
{snip}
Immediate response
There was significant backlash from some conservative circles. Republican Representative Peter King of New York called Obama's wearing of the suit while talking about the economy instead of terrorism unpresidential, and stated that "There's no way, I don't think, any of us can excuse what the president did yesterday. I mean, you have the world watching." According to conservative Justin Sink of The Hill, most people viewed Obama's fashion choice to be a mistake.
{snip}
