"Humans of New York" photographer Brandon Stanton receives thousands of comments on the poignant photos he posts on Facebook and Instagram. But it's not every day that he gets one from the commander-in-chief.
Responding to a particularly heartwarming photo about a caring young Iranian boy who gave his food away, President Barack Obama penned a personal comment from the White House's account, signed "bo."
“What an inspirational story,” Obama wrote. “One of the most fulfilling things that can happen to you as a parent is to see the values you’ve worked to instill in your kids start to manifest themselves in their actions – and this one really resonated with me. I hope this young man never loses his desire to help others. And I'm going to continue doing whatever I can to make this world a place where he and every young person like him can live up to their full potential. (And if I ever get to meet him, I hope he’ll save me an apricot!) –bo”
The president's personal response comes as he moves to secure an agreement reached with Iran and other world powers to limit the Islamic Republic's nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions against the regime. The historic deal, which has been fiercely opposed by Republicans in Congress but now has enough Democratic votes to sustain Obama's veto of any legislation aimed at derailing the agreement, represents the first major thaw in relations between the two countries since the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Obama has argued the nuclear accord is the best chance for peace with Iran.
Stanton's "Humans of New York" project is famous for its heartstring-tugging profiles of often needy people with remarkable stories, some of whom have been gifted thousands of dollars raised by emphatic fans. Obama was interviewed by Stanton for a photo of his own in February.