Obama tan suit anniversary used to compare former president with Trump: 'Today, republicans are silent'

Obama's fashion choice was criticised as 'unpresidential'

Five years ago today, Barack Obama made what was considered one of his most questionable choices as president of the United States when he donned a tan suit.

The 'scandal', which took place on 28 August 2014, occurred when the then-president chose to wear a light suit by tailor Georges de Paris for a White House briefing.

Although the conference was meant to focus on the fight against Isis and Russia’s intervention in Ukraine, Mr Obama’s fashion choice became the centre of attention, prompting a response that came to be known as “Tan-gate”.

On Twitter, analytics show there were more than 4,000 tweets referencing Mr Obama’s suit during the press conference - many of which were critical of the president’s style.

New York Representative Peter King said: “There’s no way I think any of us can excuse what the president did yesterday… For him to walk out… in a light suit, light tan suit.

“Isis is watching,” he continued. “If you were the head of Isis, if you were Baghdadi, if you were anyone in the Isis, would you come away from yesterday afraid of the United States? Would you be afraid that the United States was going to use all its power to crush Isis? Or would you think here’s a person who’s going to go out and do a few fundraisers over the Labor Day weekend?”

Others called the president’s suit choice “unpresidential” or a “monstrosity”.

However, five years on, some believe Tan-gate has been put into perspective by the Trump presidency.

“Five years ago today, Republicans lost their minds because Barack Obama wore a tan suit to a press conference,” one person wrote on Twitter. “Today, they’re silent as Donald Trump separates families, makes health care less affordable, and stands up for Vladimir Putin.”

Another tweeted: “Reminder of a tweet from five years ago today by Lou Dobbs - the right freaked out over Obama’s tan suit five years ago today while they praise and defend Trump’s racism, bigotry, sexism and brazen corruption.”

At the time, the Obama administration defended his decision. A day after the initial controversy, then-White House press secretary Josh Earnest said: “The president stands squarely behind the decision that he made yesterday to wear his summer suit at yesterday’s news conference.

“It’s the Thursday before Labor Day, he feels pretty good about it.”

Another White House official said: “He loves that suit.”