A Republican staffer has resigned over a Facebook post criticizing Sasha and Malia Obama’s appearance at the White House turkey pardon ceremony, which ignited a firestorm and touched a nerve among many Americans.
Elizabeth Lauten, the communications director for Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn), wrote that Malia, 16, and Sasha, 13, should “try showing a little class” and told them to “dress like you deserve respect.” Lauten faced heavy backlash for her criticism of the Obama daughters, as well as the President and first lady, by saying the teens were dressed inappropriately and looked bored.
Lauten resigned from her post on Monday after apologizing for her remarks, USA Today reported.
[quote text_size=”small” author=”– Elizabeth Lauten” author_title=”Republican Communications Director for Rep. Fincher”]
Dear Sasha and Malia, I get you’re both in those awful teen years, but you’re a part of the First Family, try showing a little class… Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at a bar. And certainly don’t make faces during televised public events.
[/quote]
Lauten had apologized earlier on Facebook for “judging” the girls, saying that she would “never have wanted to be judged myself as a teenager.”
While she was not the first or only person to comment on the behavior of the teenagers during the event, she was accused of crossing a line, Fox News reported.
Lauten’s comments even drew a rebuke from Republican National Committee Communications Director Sean Spicer on Monday. Spicer tweted that “children, especially the first daughters, are off limits,” CNN reported.
Many media outlets said that the teenagers, who stood behind their father as he pardoned two turkeys named Mac and Cheese, looked bored or exasperated. Lauten’s Facebook post was picked up by bloggers and others on Twitter and Facebook. By Saturday, the hashtag #ElizabethLauten was trending on Twitter.
Sasha and Malia are among the youngest presidential children in many years, and the Obamas have gone to great lengths to shield them from media attention as they attend school and play sports.
