American presidents and scandals unfortunately go hand-in-hand far too often, with unforgettable misconducts such as Watergate and Monicagate burned in the brains of the American public. And yet, arguably no other presidential scandal ruffled as many feathers as Tangate.
Tangate, of course, refers to the high-profile and headline-topping controversy surrounding Barack Obama after he wore a tan suit during a press conference in August 28, 2014. Considering his stature and cultural impact as president at the time, all eyes were on Obama as he delivered an important and powerful speech in regards to the U.S. military combating terrorism from ISIS.
As stylish as one presidential can possibly get, the 44th president was dashingly dressed head-to-toe in summer-weight light tan pants and a tan blazer, along with a striped gray and white tie, and a crisp white Oxford shirt — an onslaught of harmonious colors which helped to bring the suit completely together as a mega fashion statement at the time.
Despite the incomparable fashion outing, Obama received a whirlwind of criticism in the hours, days, weeks, and months following the presentation of his tan suit — and the very reason for such mind-blowing criticism is still being discussed and explored to this day.
So, why was there so much outrage after Obama wore a tan suit?
Several Republican representatives and analysts criticized Obama’s tan suit choice as “unpresidential” due to the weighty topic of terrorism in the nation. The tan suit controversy was seen by many onlookers as the wrong time for Obama to switch his traditional suit colors of navy and grey, and a fair amount of critics saw the tan suit, bizarrely, as “narcissistic,” with Obama attempting to place the spotlight on himself.
On the other side of the coin, Obama was celebrated and applauded for changing up his traditional colors and avoiding a “boring repetition” in regards to his professional attire. In fact, a large majority of folks felt that the tan suit made Obama even more attractive, with many even referring to him as “Daddy” due to switching up his style and boasting colors that he wouldn’t normally don.
Regardless of whichever way you choose to chop it up, President Obama’s sudden choice to switch up his style definitely garnered plenty of attention. That being said, he even gained further attention for applauding Democratic candidate Kamala Harris for recently wearing a similar pantsuit. And yet, simply choosing to wear a tan suit is considerably less of a scandal than *cough* 34 felony counts.