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Barack Obama’s Marine scandal revisited by The Daily Show

By Matt Moore

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 16: A U.S. Marine holds an umbrella over U.S. President Barack Obama as he and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey (not shown) speak to the media in the Rose Garden at the White House May 16, 2013 in Washington, DC. The two leaders spoke about the fighting in Syria, and President Obama answered questions on the IRS Justice Department invesigation. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 16: A U.S. Marine holds an umbrella over U.S. President Barack Obama as he and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey (not shown) speak to the media in the Rose Garden at the White House May 16, 2013 in Washington, DC. The two leaders spoke about the fighting in Syria, and President Obama answered questions on the IRS Justice Department invesigation. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) /
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The Daily Show with Trevor Noah continued its series on the numerous scandals of Barack Obama’s presidency.

Late night television shows can make it seem like Donald Trump is the only president in U.S. history to have a scandal while in office. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah has tried to change that narrative by reminding viewers just how often President Barack Obama brought controversy to the White House.

In the past few years, late night hosts have mocked President Donald Trump for everything from his Twitter account to his Sharpie’d hurricane map to his casual abuse of power. It would appear as if President Trump can do no right in the eyes of comedians like Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and Stephen Colbert.

But what if President Trump is just following the example set by President Obama? That is the message behind The Daily Show with Trevor Noah‘s series on Obama-era scandals.

The latest example from Comedy Central’s late night show comes from 2013. It involves the armed forces as Obama was blasted for using a Marine as his own personal butler.

The “Marine umbrellas” join other Barack Obama scandals like the tan suit, the fancy mustard, and the selfie stick. These were all seen as President Obama having no regard for the sanctity of office and demonstrating a complete lack of respect for the Oval Office.

A big part of these bits from The Daily Show is highlighting how each “scandal” was covered by Fox News at the time. A clip show Sean Hannity suggesting the incident was symbolic of the Marines having Obama covered but Obama failing to protect them. But even CNN’s Jake Tapper is featured, though his reaction may have been a bit more tongue-in-cheek than Hannity.

Of course, the point the Daily Show is trying to make is not that Trump is like Obama or that Trump is unfairly criticized. It is quite the opposite in fact. The clip even ends with images of other presidents being protected from the rain by Marines holding umbrellas. Besides, we all know that President Trump has a little trouble with umbrellas and would take any help he can get.

Revisiting claims that President Obama disrespected the military with “umbrella-gate” is especially timely. President Trump has been criticized for his attacks on Alexander Vindman, a Purple Heart recipient who testified in the impeachment inquiry. It joins a long list of Trump mocking or insulting certain veterans and military families.

Related Story. The Daily Show recalls another Obama scandal. light

You can bet that if President Donald Trump had a Marine hold an umbrella over his head today then he would be mocked by late night hosts. The difference is that it would be another example in a long and growing list of Trump’s bizarre behavior yet wouldn’t come close to the other scandals that have come from his time in office. For The Daily Show, that’s just one more difference between Trump and Barack Obama.

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