Salahis said they were "shocked" and "devastated" White House party crashers.

Tareq and Michaele Salahi, the now-infamous "White House party crashers," appeared on the "Today Show" this morning to deny claims they attended a state dinner at the White House uninvited.

Talking to Matt Lauer, the Salahis said they were "shocked" and "devastated" to wake up last Thursday morning and discover they had been labeled "party crashers" by the media. "Our lives have been destroyed, everything we've worked for," Michaele Salahi said. "For me, 44 years just destroyed."

That, despite the fact, as Jon Stewart pointed out last night on "The Daily Show," the media's critical coverage of the couple has actually given them exactly what they seem to have sought: fame. In fact, Lauer began the interview by asking the Salahis to state for the record, contrary to their rumored plans, that they were not being paid to give the interview.