President Barack Obama drew laughs when he joked about his approval ratings, legal marijuana and executive actions at the annual Gridiron Club dinner in Washington on Saturday.
But when it came to the letter that 47 Republican senators recently sent to Iranian leaders warning that a nuclear deal could be undone by a future administration, Obama dropped the comedic routine.
“You don’t diminish your office by taking a selfie. You do it by sending a poorly written letter to Iran. Really. That wasn’t a joke,” he said, according to a pool report of the event.
Obama was referring to his use of a selfie stick during a recent appearance in a video for BuzzFeed to promote the Affordable Care Act. Conservatives claim that Obama has diminished the presidency by appearing in the BuzzFeed video, being interviewed by YouTube stars and going on late-night talk shows.
Obama has also said that he was "embarrassed" for the Republicans who sent the letter to Iran. Vice President Joe Biden has said that the letter was "beneath the dignity" of the United States Senate.
Republicans have defended the letter, saying that they had to speak out because Obama didn't consult them.
Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday that he would not apologize to Iran for the GOP's actions. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who orchestrated sending the letter, said that he had "no regrets."
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