President Barack Obama has been criticised for giving a Marine guard a seemingly lacklustre salute, holding a polystyrene coffee cup up to his temple.

In a video posted on the White House's Instagram, Obama is seen exiting the presidential helicopter and saluting the standing guards as is tradition.

When you embark and disembark aircraft as often as he does, I guess it's inevitable that you're going to be saddled with possessions at some point, and the president is seen awkwardly improvising as he tries to form a salute without spilling his latte.

This is 2014 though so at least a handful of people on the internet have to be outraged about it, including the National Republican Congressional Committee, which tweeted incredulously: "Wait - did President Obama just salute the Marines with a LATTE in his hand?!"

"President Obama's salute was incredibly disrespectful to the Marines. No way to justify that one," another user added solemnly.