Obama's 'Styrofoam cup salute' provokes Republican outrage
Latte salute was spotted in a White House Instagram video
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
President Barack Obama has been criticised for giving a Marine guard a seemingly lacklustre salute, holding a polystyrene coffee cup up to his temple.
In a video posted on the White House's Instagram, Obama is seen exiting the presidential helicopter and saluting the standing guards as is tradition.
When you embark and disembark aircraft as often as he does, I guess it's inevitable that you're going to be saddled with possessions at some point, and the president is seen awkwardly improvising as he tries to form a salute without spilling his latte.
This is 2014 though so at least a handful of people on the internet have to be outraged about it, including the National Republican Congressional Committee, which tweeted incredulously: "Wait - did President Obama just salute the Marines with a LATTE in his hand?!"
"President Obama's salute was incredibly disrespectful to the Marines. No way to justify that one," another user added solemnly.
While the decision to upload the video to Instagram was a little weird, this isn't the most awkward presidential salute on record – that honour goes to George W. Bush who saluted using his dog in 2001.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments