The first official State Dinner of the Obama era was a glittering event with so many guests that it was held in a tent.
Nearly 340 diners were squeezed on the south lawn, twice as many as would have fit in the state dining room.
Michelle Obama said, “even with a big house, like the white house, there's only so many people we could invite.”
However, there was a definite guest list. It included Hollywood A-listers like Steven Spielberg, Blair Underwood, Alfre Woodard, and M. Night Shaymalan and Capitol Hill bigwigs like Senator John Kerry and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The guest list did not include a pair named Michaele Salahi and Tareq Salahi. But that didn't keep them away. A apparently neither did the secret service.
Brad Garrett, ABC News’ security consultant explains it is reasonable that they could sneak through security, "it's a state dinner, a couple shows up they are dressed - engage in conversation - but apparently they were able to convince security people."
The Salahis posted on their Facebook page pictures with the vice president, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel even Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts.
The White House told ABC News "it's clear they weren't on the list and weren't invited." The couple are Washington socialites under consideration for a role in the upcoming reality show "Real Housewives of DC."
The Secret Service is investigating whether the Salahi's committed a crime. While the couple did go through metal detectors and were not carrying weapons, the Secret Service acknowledges that procedures weren't properly followed.
