President Barack Obama is a true man of the people!
The POTUS stepped out of the White House bubble this week and took an impromptu stroll through Washington, D.C. “The President was heading over to the nearby Department of the Interior and decided to break with tradition and take a Springtime walk,” according to the White House blog. “On the way, he got a chance to meet with all sorts of folks, who weren’t expecting to meet the President of the United States of America.”
A young girl hands the President a US flag during his walk to DOI yesterday; he later gave the girl a WH souvenir pic.twitter.com/3cnOHydtbc
— petesouza (@petesouza) May 22, 2014
MUST READ: Malia Obama Is Stepping Behind The Wheel & The FLOTUS Says ‘Look Out!’ “It’s good to be out,” he said on his stroll. “The bear is loose.” “You gotta catch folks by surprise. Can’t be regular. Can’t be routine,” he added. The Commander In Chief chatted with about two dozen people during the walk, including local business owners, locals and a handful of tourists. “Are you real?” one woman asked as she shook his hand. “Yes I am. I’m not wax,” Obama replied.
Tourists on the Ellipse in DC did a double-take as the President & John Podesta walked to the D of Interior yesterday pic.twitter.com/CoFZzMQBnX
— petesouza (@petesouza) May 22, 2014
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According to the Washington Post, the move was not a walk through the park for the Secret Service. But, spokesman Ed Donovan said the risks of a disruption were lower since it was unscheduled. “Any time the president leaves the White House complex there are risks involved,” he said. “Off the record movements can be used to our advantage since there is an element of surprise. If something a protected [person] does is not on the schedule then presumably someone wishing to disrupt an event or do them harm is unaware of it as well.”
The White House shared footage of the once-in-a-lifetime moment in a YouTube video, titled “The President Takes a Surprise Walk.” Check it out below.
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