OCEANSIDE, Calif. — A 37-year-old Iraq war veteran was exultant when President Joseph R. Biden grabbed his cell phone from his hand at a political rally in Oceanside to snag a group selfie.
"When POTUS was close to my section of the barricade, he noticed my Iraq war veteran hat and reached HIS hand to shake mine. Then, I asked if we could take a photograph," Arick Jones told CBS 8.
Arick Jones, 37, could be seen in the photo wearing a long-sleeved red shirt and a hat that said: "Iraq war veteran" with accolades lining the middle of the hat.
Jones said before he could even get the Camera App open on his iPhone, President Biden had already opened the app, adjusted the photo's framing, and set up a few different angles.
"To my surprise, not only did POTUS agree to take a photo, but as I fumbled to get the camera ready on my iPhone quickly, he grabbed it from my hand, opened the camera app, did a pinch to zoom, and proceeded to hold it up to take our selfie. He took multiple shots with different angles, including the crowd behind me," Jones recounted.
"Politics aside, me seeing in person, let alone the opportunity to photograph with a sitting U.S. President, was most excellent," Jones added.
Arick Jones said this was the first political rally he had attended.
"This was what I came to the rally for, and I thought there might be the slimmest of chances this would happen. As a U.S. Army veteran, although I served under President GW Bush, meeting the Commander-in-Chief was exhilarating," Jones said.
President Biden was in San Diego for about 19 hours November 4-5 for a four-state campaign swing for Democrats in tight races ahead of Election Day.
The President of the United States spoke at a rally for Rep. Mike Levin hosted at MiraCosta College before speaking at ViaSat the next day in Carlsbad, California, before returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, where Air Force one awaited to take him to Chicago.
"He thanked me for my service and moved along during the line to shake more hands...He was charismatic and welcoming," Arick Jones recounted.
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