Salahis Insist They Did Not Crash Obama State Dinner

Speaking out for the first time, Tareq and Michaele Salahi, the reality-TV-show aspirants who gained entry to a White House dinner without an invitation, appeared on NBC's "Today" show Tuesday morning to insist they did nothing wrong.

The couple wore black clothing and looked somber during their interview with Matt Lauer, but did not produce evidence that they were invited to last week's state dinner, though they said they had "documentation" they would provide to the "Today" show very soon, in a second appearance in New York. Click play below to watch video of the interview:


Lauer did not ask the couple, who were in Washington, if they would show up at Thursday's House Homeland Security Committee hearing, where they have been asked to testify. He also did not ask if they ever received the formal cream-colored invitation to the White House dinner or submitted the basic information all White House visitors must provide: their date of birth and Social Security number.

Tareq Salahi said the controversy surrounding their appearance at President Obama's first state dinner was "the most devastating thing that has happened to us."

He said, "We did not party crash the White House" and he revealed that the couple is "cooperating extensively with the U.S. Secret Service." He insisted they were invited to the event honoring the prime minister of India and his wife.

"We will continue to cooperate and the truth will soon come out."

Michaele Salahi said the fallout from attending the dinner was "unbearable to go through." Her husband said their "lives have been destroyed." Mrs. Salahi said that "everything we worked for" has been "destroyed." The Salahis have been portrayed as craven party crashers and Washington social climbers. "We were invited," Mrs. Salahi said, adding she would not have the "audacity" to crash a party she was not invited to. The couple bragged about being at the state dinner on their Facebook page, posting pictures of themselves posing with Vice President Biden, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and others.

As the segment closed, Mr. Salahi said, "I am certain we will be completely exonerated" and indicated he was not done milking the controversy. "We are looking forward to coming to see you, Matt."

Since there had been chatter about the couple trying to get paid for their appearances, Lauer asked about that at the beginning of the interview, and the couple said they were not paid to appear on "Today."

Also interviewed on the morning show -- to discuss Obama's Tuesday night speech to announce a troop increase in Afghanistan -- was White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who scoffed at Tareq Salahi's comment that the couple had been cleared to attend the state dinner.

"They were not on a list here at the White House," Gibbs said. They were "told on a number of occasions they did not have tickets for this dinner." Gibbs noted they may face criminal charges and that the White house will be doing "anything humanly possible to make sure" party crashers do not succeed in the future. This week, the White House is kicking off a series of holiday parties with thousands of invited guests expected.

As for the Salahi suggestion that there was a misunderstanding, Gibbs said, "You don't show up at the White House as a misunderstanding."

Meanwhile, the Washington Post is reporting that a "top Defense Department official traded e-mails with the Salahis in an effort to get them into last week's White House state dinner, according to sources familiar with an investigation into the security breach. On Friday the couple turned over copies of the e-mail exchange to the Secret Service investigators," the paper said. The official, Michele S. Jones, the White House Liaison in the Defense Department, denied that she had anything to do with clearing the couple to attend the party and said she informed them she was not getting them in.

In a statement released by the White House Jones said, "I did not state at any time, or imply that I had tickets for ANY portion of the evening's events. I specifically stated that they did not have tickets and in fact that I did not have the authority to authorize attendance, admittance or access to any part of the evening's activities. Even though I informed them of this, they still decided to come."

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The Uninvited

In an interview on NBC's "Today" show, Tareq Salahi, right, denied he and his wife, Michaele, center, crashed the Obamas' first state dinner at the White House last week. Here, they greet President Barack Obama at the dinner on Nov. 24.

Samantha Appleton, The White House / AP

Samantha Appleton, The White House / AP