Barack and Michelle Obama garner round of applause at National Gallery of Art

'Round of applause and cheers as Obama leaves the National Gallery becoming a thing apparently,' says reporter

Since the Obamas packed their belongings and left the corridors of power, Mr Obama has enjoyed some downtime (Associated Press / Jose Luis Magana)

Barack and Michelle Obama took fellow museum-goers by surprise after making an appearance at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

This is the first time the couple have been seen out since Donald Trump made unsubstantiated claims the Obama administration wire-tapped his Trump Tower phones during the presidential election. President Trump has yet to provide any evidence for his bold claim and President Obama’s intelligence chief has denied any such activity occurred.

A crowd gathered to watch the former first couple leave the gallery and reportedly launched into a round of applause and cheers for them.

NBC reporter, Benjy Sarlin, commented on the throng of people who gathered to watch the pair.

“Round of applause and cheers as Obama leaves the National Gallery, becoming a thing apparently,” Mr Sarlin added.

“They just cleared the east wing of the National Gallery of Art because Obama is here. Iconic,” chipped in Sophie Florence.

Since leaving the White House, many of Obama’s public sightings have attracted applause. Last month, the former president and his daughter Malia were spotted at Arthur Miller's The Price, a play starring Danny DeVito and Mark Ruffalo at the American Airlines Theatre in New York.

In a similar vein, a small crowd cheered on the former president as he made his way out of the theatre.

Since the Obamas packed their belongings and left the corridors of power, Mr Obama has enjoyed some downtime. He went kitesurfing on Mosquito Island on the British Virgin Islands alongside Richard Branson. Sporting a backwards baseball cap and flip-flops, Obama looked more relaxed than ever.