Barack Obama is President of the United States. Really. He was sworn in on Tuesday by John Roberts, the Chief Justice, in front of two million people and billions watching on television.

Was it valid? Probably – even though the oath got a little mangled. On Wednesday night they did it again, just to make sure, but this time in private.

“We decided it was so much fun,” said Mr Obama, welcoming a handful of reporters, who would this time be the only witnesses, into the Map Room at the White House. “Are you ready to take the oath?” asked Chief Justice Roberts. “I am, and we’re going to do it very slowly,” replied the President.

In the age of the internet, however, one conspiracy theory begets another. Right-wing blogs were aghast as it emerged that he did not place his left hand on a Bible the second time around. Others asked why television cameras had not been allowed to film the event. Exactly what was Barack Hussein Obama trying to hide?

“This is making so much more sense. He’s a Muslim,” concluded one contributor to the website AboveThe Law.com. Others linked it to a similarly false rumour that he was not born in the United States and so should be barred from becoming President.

The liberal blogosphere had its own ideas, alleging that the conservative Chief Justice was taking revenge for Mr Obama failing to vote in the Senate for his confirmation on the Supreme Court in 2005.

All this has prompted deep sighs from the White House. Greg Craig, the legal counsel, issued a statement saying: “We believe that the oath of office was administered effectively and that the President was sworn in appropriately.” He added that it was only “out of an abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence” that Mr Obama took the oath a second time.

A president is required by the Constitution to say, “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States.” At the inauguration, Chief Justice Roberts put the words in the wrong order, saying “that I will execute the office of President to the United States faithfully”.

Mr Obama got as far as saying “that I will execute” before pausing in confusion. The Chief Justice corrected himself but Mr Obama repeated the orginal mistake, saying: “The office of President of the United States faithfully.”

Yesterday Robert Gibbs, the new White House press secretary, was beseiged by questions on the oath. Would Mr Obama have to resign the executive orders he gave on Wednesday before the second swearing-in? “No, no. Let me step back and address this,” he said. “The counsel’s office believed strongly throughout the day that the President had been sworn in appropriately and effectively.” So, why the need for another ceremony? “You know lawyers,” he replied.

What about the secrecy? “We think it was done in a way that was upfront and transparent,” Mr Gibbs said.

Mr Obama, for all his apparent good humour as he retook the oath, appeared less happy earlier when Vice-President Biden tried to make a sarcastic dig at the head of the Supreme Court. Asked to swear in senior staff at the White House, Mr Biden replied: “My memory is not as good as Justice Roberts’.” Mr Obama frowned and squeezed Mr Biden’s elbow, perhaps to warn him that this was no time for his famously gaffe-prone mouth to run away with him. There had been enough words said out of place for one week.

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