President Obama congratulates Phelps on Twitter during NBC's Olympics broadcast

ByABC News
August 1, 2012, 8:24 AM

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It seems even the President of the United States is watching the London Olympics on tape delay.

"Congrats to Michael Phelps for breaking the all-time Olympic medal record," President Barack Obama tweeted late Tuesday, after the celebrated American swimmer won his record 19th. "You've made your country proud."

The president's tweet (signed "-bo" to denote it was him and not a member of his reelection campaign) came during NBC's primetime broadcast of an event that happened earlier in the day--and some of Obama's 18 million followers on Twitter decided to voice their displeasure with the network to the commander-in-chief.

"Uh, that happened hours ago Prez," Thomas Attila Lewis wrote in response. "@NBC is embarrassing our country."

Phelps, though, appreciated the message, however delayed.

"Thank you Mr. President!!" Phelps tweeted at 3:02 a.m. local time. "It's an honor representing the #USA!! The best country in the world!!"