Joe Biden falls three times stumbling up stairs of Air Force One
The president recovered with a salute
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Joe Biden fell three times attempting to board Air Force One on his way to Atlanta.
America’s oldest president, 78, recovered to give a salute at the top of the stairs before departing to meet with Asian American community leaders in the wake of the massage parlour massacre.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told White House pool reporters the president was “doing fine” after the fall.
“It was very windy. I almost fell coming up the steps myself. He is doing 100 percent,” she told reporters. “He’s doing fine. He’s preparing for the trip just fine.”
The triple tumble comes amid question over the ageing president’s fitness for office after referring to his vice president as “President Harris”.
Half of Americans were “not confident” that Mr Biden was “physically and mentally up to the job”, with a third concerned he hasn’t yet held a press conference, according to a Rasmussen poll in March.
Mr Biden’s fall on a windy morning at Joint Base Andrews comes after he suffered a hairline fracture in his right foot playing with dog Major in November, after which he was required him to wear a boot for weeks.
Read more:
- Marjorie Taylor Greene faces expulsion bid - follow live
- Marjorie Taylor Greene locked out of Twitter as Democrats move to expel her from Congress
- Calls for resignation of Texas congressman who invoked lynching in Asian hate crime hearing
- Biden to send 4 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Canada and Mexico
Presidential precariousness became a campaign issue during the 2020 election after Donald Trump’s awkward walk down a slight ramp at the West Point military academy.
While it may have been relegated to a footnote of the election cycle, Mr Trump spent several days defending the walk during campaign rallies and media interviews, telling The Wall Street Journal the ramp was “like an ice-skating rink” made slippery by his leather-soled shoes.
He also said the walk was taken out of context, with footage cut before he “ran down the rest” of the ramp.
"I looked very handsome," Mr Trump said. "I took these little steps, then I ran down."
Mr Biden is not the first president to stumble on the stairs to the plane. In 1975, president Gerald Ford fell down the stairs of Air Force One arriving in Austria. Betty Ford, however, maintained her poise.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments