Was President Obama’s oath of office re-do needed?

Chief Justice John G. Roberts readministered the oath of office to President Barack Obama Wednesday night because the first time, part of it was said out of sequence.

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Pete Souza / White House / MCT

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. administers the oath of office a second time to President Obama.

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The blogosphere has been filled with speculation that Obama was not officially president because of the mistake. Roberts initially said part of the 35-word oath incorrectly, Obama apparently recognized the mistake and paused to give Roberts time to say it correctly.

Better safe than sorry and to dispel any potential debate, Obama did a re-do.

This time, the scene was the White House Map Room in front of a small group of reporters, not the Capitol platform before the whole watching world.

“We decided that because it was so much fun …,” Obama joked to reporters who followed press secretary Robert Gibbs into the room. No TV camera crews or news photographers were allowed in. A few of Obama’s closest aides were there, along with a White House photographer.

Roberts put on his black robe.

“Are you ready to take the oath?” he said.

“Yes, I am,” Obama said. “And we’re going to do it very slowly.”

Roberts then led Obama through the oath without any missteps.

The president said he did not have his Bible with him, but that the oath was binding anyway.

Craig, the White House lawyer, said in a statement Wednesday evening: “We believe the oath of office was administered effectively and that the president was sworn in appropriately yesterday. Yet the oath appears in the Constitution itself. And out of the abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence, Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath a second time.”

The Constitution is clear about the exact wording of the oath and as a result, some constitutional experts have said that a do-over probably wasn’t necessary but also couldn’t hurt. Two other previous presidents have repeated the oath because of similar issues, Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur.