Barack Obama was taking in the sights of the Washington, D.C., Tidal Basin on a brisk spring morning on Monday, completely unaware that he was about to become part of a family’s cherished memory. The former president, now eight years out of office, was admiring the cherry blossoms — an annual sp ectacle that draws thousands — when he unknowingly stepped into the background of a family’s photo shoot. The cherry blossoms were in peak bloom, their delicate pink petals creating a stunning display around the man-made reservoir that connects to the Potomac River. Barack Obama accidentally photobombed a family’s pictures while checking out cherry blossoms in Washington D.C. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Earlier that day, Obama shared his own appreciation for the springtime spectacle on Instagram, posting, “It’s fun to be able to play tourist once in a while. The cherry blossoms were beautiful this morning!” alongside photos of the scenic pathways and flowering trees. But then something amazing happened, bridging Obama and a random stranger forever. Portia Moore shared the moment with NBC Washington and said she had no idea it was happening at the time. “It was perfect,” the mom said, who was focused on keeping her 20-month-old son Preston from running into the water when her husband spotted the former president. “My husband’s like, ‘That’s Obama!’ I didn’t know what he was saying. I was like, ‘Yeah, whatever. I’m looking at Preston right now,'” Moore recalled. OBAMA PHOTOBOMB! A local mom & dad took their kids on a cherry blossom photo shoot @ the Tidal Basin yesterday morning… and look who walked right by! @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/nB9UMtDvRq— Joseph Olmo (@ReporterJoseph) April 1, 2025 After picking up her son, she realized what had happened, asking her husband, “What did you just say?” When he repeated, “That’s Obama!” Moore immediately wondered if they had captured the moment. The family’s photographer, Briana Inell, confirmed they had indeed caught the 44th president photobombing little Belle and Preston Thomas as they posed under a cherry tree. “Usually, I’m editing all of the tourists out of the backgrounds for all my clients anyway, but this is the one photo that I won’t be editing out this person,” Inell remarked about the unexpected presidential appearance. The serendipitous moment occurred around the same time Sen. Cory Booker was beginning his historic 25-hour and 4-minute floor speech in the Senate—the longest speech in Senate history — though the family was understandably more focused on their extraordinary encounter. After discovering he had appeared in the family photos, Obama graciously commented on their Instagram post: “Preston and Belle, I hope you enjoyed peak bloom! My bad for stepping into the shot.” Former president Barack Obama photobombs family pictures while strolling along the Washington D.C. cherry blossoms. (Instagram/ @barackobama ) The presidential photobomb quickly went viral, generating numerous reactions across social media. “Such a cool moment to capture!” exclaimed one user. Another noted, “I love how little man looks like he’s about to turn around and ask Obama to please get out of his picture so he can stop holding still and go play.” Someone else quipped, “I would have asked him to take the picture.” Some observers questioned why Obama was still in Washington, with one person joking, “Hope he was headed to Help us outta this mess!!” Another contrasted with the previous administration, writing, “When Trump was out of office, he still never walked anywhere and had to have a 20 car motorcade & ambulance following him.” On Reddit, users were equally enthusiastic about the chance encounter, with one commenting, “I don’t blame her making that a Christmas card!” while another added, “Then framed and put up in the living room.” When asked what she would tell Obama if given the chance, Moore had a ready invitation: “Come for next year’s shoot. Same place, same time, same date. We’ll be here.” The Moore family now has the perfect image for their holiday greeting cards, as Portia enthusiastically confirmed: “Oh, my goodness. One hundred percent. I didn’t even think about that. Yes, it is!” — a presidential photobomb that transformed an ordinary family outing into an extraordinary memory preserved for generations. ‘That’s Obama!’: Family Shocked After Barack Obama Crashes Their Photoshoot In Accidental Viral Moment ...read more read less