--- title: Barack Obama Gives Kid Fist Bump Outside White House description: President Obama gave four-year-old Luca Martinez a memorable fist-bump on Saturday. canonical: https://time.com/3845173/barack-obama-superhero-kid-fist-bump/ author: Sam Frizell article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-04T12:57:45.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:47:40.154Z og:title: See This 'Superhero' Kid Gets an Obama Fist Bump og:description: A young boy is the recipient of a presidential pound og:url: https://time.com/3845173/barack-obama-superhero-kid-fist-bump/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt45f9d8d0e5818b42/6987ee2d06f2c12f0b338106/obama-fist-bump.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: President Barack Obama greets Luca Martinez, 4, with a fist-bump as he walks from the White House to board Marine One in Washington on May 2, 2015. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: See This 'Superhero' Kid Gets an Obama Fist Bump twitter:description: A young boy is the recipient of a presidential pound twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt45f9d8d0e5818b42/6987ee2d06f2c12f0b338106/obama-fist-bump.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # See This 'Superhero' Kid Get an Obama Fist Bump > Sponsored content. 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Carolyn Kaster—AP by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell May 4, 2015 12:57 PM UTC Royal babies get all the attention in England, but what’s the perk of being the son of a press photographer? A once-in-a-lifetime fist-bump with the President. On Saturday, four-year-old Luca Martinez accompanied his father, Associated Press photographer Pablo, to the South Lawn to see President Obama’s helicopter up close. Luca wore superhero clothes and goggles to protect his eyes during takeoff and covered his ears against the noise, according to [CNN](http://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/03/politics/barack-obama-superhero-white-house/index.html). The President strode out and saw Luca, and gave him a pound for the ages, complete with exploding fist. It was fun, Luca said when reporters asked him about it. \[[_CNN_](http://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/03/politics/barack-obama-superhero-white-house/index.html)\] ### Photos: What Obama's Hugs Meant  You can see it by Obama’s bowed head and Hagel’s sorrowful face – this is an “I’m sorry” hug, plain and simple. Mandel Ngan—AFP/Getty Images  This hug between Obama and former Press Secretary Jay Carney may have been commemorating Carney’s departure, but all people will remember is its awkwardness. Susan Walsh—AP  Here’s where Obama’s hug game is the strongest: with Michelle. The peaceful smile on his face, the warm, full-body embrace – this is clearly an “I love you” hug. Consider it the antidote to the Carney debacle. Jim Watson—AFP/Getty Images  Obama’s hug with nurse Nina Pham after her battle with Ebola was a way to signal to the public that the disease is not as scary as some had thought. This is the hug as public health awareness. Olivier Douliery-—Getty Images  Critics charged that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie "hugged" the president, but the Republican claimed it was just a handshake. Jewel Samad—AFP/Getty Images  The photo of Obama hugging a victim of Hurricane Sandy went viral- his solemn face and her tear-stained one, his arms protectively around her shoulders – this is a presidential hug in its purest form. Pablo Martinez Monsivais—AP  Though Obama’s peck on Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi’s cheek was a pro-democracy smooch, her visible recoil from the kiss indicates that he may have been better off with a handshake. Jason Reed—Reuters  Obama was literally swept off his feet by pizzeria owner Scott Van Duzer. The now-famous bear hug was a “celebrities are just like us” moment, when Obama showed he could still joke around in a regular ol’ pizza joint. Sept. 9, 2012. 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