Party-Crashers Got Close to Obamas Before

Photos show them in inaugural box; Secret Service admits mistake
By Will McCahill,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 26, 2009 7:28 PM CST
Party-Crashers Got Close to Obamas Before
Tareq and Michaele Salahi appear in the viewing box used by the Obamas for January's pre-inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial.   (Facebook)

The Secret Service admitted the obvious today, saying that security measures “weren’t followed” at Tuesday’s White House dinner, which a Virginia couple auditioning for a reality show crashed. And, the Washington Post reports, it appears the couple got pretty close to the president-elect during inauguration festivities, even posting a photo on Facebook of them in the glass-enclosed box from which the Obamas watched the Lincoln Memorial concert.

Tareq and Michaele Salahi will appear Monday with CNN’s Larry King, part of a media blitz promised by their publicist. And, sources say, their spot on the upcoming Bravo series Real Housewives of Washington seems secure, and that crashing the state dinner was more about keeping up appearances. “I don’t think they’re afraid of being cut: They create a lot of drama on the show,” the source said. “What they’re struggling to do is maintain or create the illusion of being power players in DC.”
(More Obama's first state dinner stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X