Stephen Colbert brought one of his favorite wardrobe moments from the Obama presidency with him to 44’s Presidential Center grand opening.
Colbert, fresh off the end of The Late Show, which aired its last episode on May 21, appeared at the star-studded event on Chicago’s South Side on Thursday, wearing an ensemble that brought to mind Obama’s now infamous tan suit. Despite the controversy over his having worn the suit at the time, Obama has insisted that the getup was “fly.”
The former late-night host was not the only one to riff on the scandal at Thursday’s event. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, several lawmakers, including State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford and U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, also wore similar suits as a nod to the former president. The celebrity-packed guest list for the event, which includes Grammy, Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Golden Globe winners and Hall of Famers, stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump’s attempts to draw star power to his events.
While Obama’s Presidential Center opening will feature appearances and performances by Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, U2’s Bono, The Edge, and many more—Trump and MAGA-adjacent events, particularly for the administration’s “Freedom 250″ plans to celebrate the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday, have been consistently ghosted by celebrities from A-list to D-list.
Colbert’s outfit choice recalled the fervor over Obama’s suit color at a White House press briefing on August 28, 2014, which overshadowed news about international relations at the time, as critics harped on the so-called “unpresidential” attire. Obama has no regrets, however, telling Colbert just last month that he looks back “proudly” at his style choice.
During an interview to mark the end of The Late Show, Obama gave the host a full walking tour of the Center’s museum exhibits ahead of its opening, which led the host to quip about one of his presidency’s most memorable media moments.
“Is it safe to assume that some of these displays commemorate your greatest achievements as president?” Colbert asked.
Obama replied that that was a “fair” assessment.
“Is there a wing dedicated to the greatest blunders? Is the tan suit here? I’m asking if the tan suit is here,” Colbert quipped.
Obama said he wouldn’t count the suit among his “blunders” at all. “Listen, I own that tan suit proudly, brother,” said the former president.
Colbert gifted him a framed photo of himself in the suit at the fated press briefing. “We have this, if you want to put this on display someplace,” Colbert said.
The president was adamant that there was nothing wrong with his outfit—in fact, he was quite proud of it, he said.
Riffing on the partisan backlash to the wardrobe choice, Colbert said incredulously, “Look! A shattered nation looked up and saw that,” to laughter from his audience. “When you look back at the tan suit, what occurs to you?”
Obama answered simply, “Fly.”
