President Obama slammed by critics for 'tremendous mistake' of dancing the tango

While in Argentina, President Obama partook in some local culture and did the tango with a professional dancer during an official state dinner (Michelle Obama also had a partner). Obama's critics watching back at home were outraged that Obama was getting his groove on so soon after the Brussels attacks — and they said as much during an appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe.

"I think there's no doubt that people would like to see a little bit more stagecraft and a balance toward decisive action rather than business as usual from the president," Bloomberg Politics managing editor Mark Halperin said.

"That was a tremendous mistake...Baseball games and tangos, that's inconsistent with the seriousness of today," the President of the Council on Foreign Relations Richard Haass agreed.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

The former communications director for George W. Bush, Nicolle Wallace, went a step further, calling the spectacle a "communications crime."

Obama had only one defender, economist Steve Rattner, who said that while the tango looked bad, what exactly Obama was expected to do in that situation? "I think he could have handled some of that differently. I agree certainly about the tango. But the idea that some people are throwing out that he should have, like, turned the plane around and rushed back to Washington. To do what?" Rattner asked.

Watch the debate, below. Jeva Lange