Hillary Clinton weighed in on the controversy surrounding videos of Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin dancing provocatively at a party by offering her support — with a picture of herself dancing as secretary of state in Cartagena, Colombia, ten years ago.
Marin has been harshly criticized for videos showing her dancing in an intimate manner with a man not her husband, as well as for videos taken of bare-breasted women kissing at her official residence.
“As Ann Richards said, ‘Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels,’” Clinton rhapsodized in her ardent feminist tone, citing the former Democratic governor of Texas. “Here’s me in Cartagena while I was there for a meeting as Secretary of State. Keep dancing, @marinsanna.”
As Ann Richards said, "Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels."
Here's me in Cartagena while I was there for a meeting as Secretary of State.
Keep dancing, @marinsanna. pic.twitter.com/btAtUFOcNV
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 28, 2022
Sanna then thanked Clinton publicly.
Thank you @HillaryClinton ❤️ https://t.co/8XU9RKUlas
— Sanna Marin (@MarinSanna) August 28, 2022
Clinton quoted Richards’ 1988 keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention referencing Astaire and Rogers, but the line has been attributed to an earlier usage, in a 1982 Frank and Ernest cartoon by Bob Thaves.
Marin apologized after a photo revealed two bare-chested women kissing at her official residence, with one woman’s breasts only covered by a sign reading, “Finland.”
Marin, telling reporters in Helsinki that she had invited some friends over to “sauna, swim and spend time together” after the Ruisrock music festival in July and that the incident occurred in the downstairs guest bathrooms, offered, “In my opinion that photo is not appropriate. I apologize for that; that photo shouldn’t have been taken,” according to YLE News.
“We were using the sauna facilities and the garden area, but we did not spend time inside the Kesäranta house, although the downstairs guest toilets were in use,” Marin added.
One of the women kissing, Sabina Särkkä, 33, apologized for the photo, saying she was “deeply sorry” for embarrassing Marin, The Daily Mail reported.
EXCLUSIVE: Model who posed for TOPLESS kiss at PM Sanna Marin's home apologises https://t.co/e1WlVESQBA
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) August 24, 2022
“Many women who support Marin have been posting videos of themselves dancing on social media, with the tag #SolidarityWithSanna,” UPI reported, opining that the women were protesting against what they claim is unfair and sexist treatment of Marin.
Prior to that, a video was released of Marin, 36, who is married and has a four-year-old daughter, dancing at a party in an apparent intimate manner with a man who is not her husband.
The new video followed an initial video from the same party that was released earlier that week and showed her dancing provocatively, catalyzing questions as to whether she was doing drugs. Marin denied that accusation, although partygoers could be heard chanting the slang name for cocaine at the party.