WASHINGTON: When the rain began to pour on President Barack Obama during a joint conference with the Turkish premier earlier this week, the US official made a pretty mundane request.
Asking for Marines to shield him and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan from the rain with a couple of umbrellas, Obama didn’t realize he would be cooking up a media storm, reports Al Arabiya.
The sudden downpour had prompted Obama during the conference, which was held in the White House’s Rose Garden, to ask for a little assistance.
“I am going to go ahead and ask folks, why don’t we get a couple of marines — they’re going to look good next to us,” Obama said. “I’ve got a change of suits, but I don’t know about our prime minister,” he added, referring to Erdogan.
The president, who is also the US Armed Forces’ commander-in-chief, was apparently unaware that his request was a breach of protocol. Two Marines in full dress uniform hurried to his side holding umbrellas. CNN contacted Marine Corps spokesman Captain Greg Wolf, who explained that it’s “extremely rare” to see marines in uniform holding umbrellas, as they’re usually not permitted to do so.
Rain incident: Obama in media storm
