Photo: Win McNamee / Getty Images
By: EFE
Friday, September 20
Twitter explodes with Biden's beige suit, 7 years after criticism of Obama for a similar suit
WASHINGTON – Normally few even notice his tie, but this Friday, the outfit of the American president , Joe Biden, delighted Twitter users, where the color of his suit became one of the featured themes in United United.
Biden’s decision to wear a beige suit to a press appearance did not attract attention by itself, but because came almost seven years after conservative commentators raised a cry when Barack Obama (2009 – 2019) wore a similar model.
President Biden is wearing a tan suit . So. pic.twitter.com/fQ4gESj8wy
– Kyle Griffin (@ kylegriffin1) August 6, 2021
In what was probably the most absurd controversy of Obama’s term, several figures on the right dismissed as “not very presidential” the fact that the then president dressed in beige to give a press conference on 28 August 2014.
President Biden bringing out the tan suit. I wonder if conservatives will be outraged again, or does that rule only apply to Black presidents? 😏 pic.twitter.com/rpowqRlIfq
– Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) August 6, 2021
“None of us can excuse what the president did yesterday, in any way”, said then-Republican Congressman Peter King, in an interview the next day on Newsmax television.
King recalled that Obama had spoken among other topics about the Islamic State (IS), and said that no one in that terrorist group could see him in that suit and feel “afraid of the United States.”
A Fox News commentator, Lou Dobbs, accused Obama of dressing in light shades because he was “desperate” to improve his popularity, that at that time was in the 41% according to Gallup.
Anyone coming here for # tansuit coverage should watch this documentary https://t.co/YQrew1CCPy
– Matt Negrin, HOST OF HARDBALL AT 7PM ON MSNBC (@MattNegrin) August 6, 2021
Hey @ seanhannity , what was your issue with the # tansuit ? I never understood why you have poor taste in style and felt it was important enough to talk about it on your show. I think they look great. pic.twitter.com/zxge5zWHCf
– David Weissman (@davidmweissman) August 6, 2021
The Conservatives took Obama out despite the fact that numerous other American politicians have led beige suits, including the country’s last three Republican presidents: Ronald Reagan (1981 – 1989), George HB Bush (1989 – 1989) and George W. Bush (1993 – 2009).
Triggering # MAGA in 3. . . 2 . . . 1. # TanSuit pic. twitter.com/bNfKPa7mm5
– LP (@TheLiberalPoet) August 6, 2021
Although it was one of the most surreal controversies of the Obama presidency, was not the only one: the opposition also lashed out at him for asking to put Dijon mustard on a hamburger, greeting a marine when he had a glass of coffee in his hand and even for taking off his suit jacket while working in the Oval Office.
Some observers considered these controversies clear examples that Obama was subjected to stricter scrutiny than other presidents for being African American, and several of the Twitter comments this Friday denounced this racist phenomenon.
“If the conservatives do not go crazy now for Biden’s beige suit, it will be the definitive proof that the ‘scandal’ in the case of Obama only occurred because he was African American, “wrote Jake Lobin, a Democratic activist, on the social network.
I heard it’s # tansuit Day !!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/D5cHhBMJZv
– Leah Cohen (@leahcohenPOTB) August 6, 2021
Indeed, there did not immediately appear to be much of a buzz in the conservative media over Biden’s decision, which many interpreted in Twitter as a nod to Obama two days after he turned out 60 years.
Veteran journalist Dan Rather opined that Biden’s attire was probably “a deliberate attempt to troll Fox News” , the television network conservative that served as a platform for many of those criticisms against Obama.
I’m going with the theory that Joe Biden wearing a tan suit is a deliberate attempt to troll Fox News.
– Dan Rather (@DanRather) August 6, 2021
More than 5, 000 Twitter users joined the debate on the issue with the hashtag #tansuit (“beige suit”), without official confirmation from the White House none of your speculations.