President Joe Biden stumbled three times and fell on the steps of
Air Force One on Friday, prompting fresh questions about his health.
The 78-year-old – the oldest
president in US history – appeared to struggle as he boarded the presidential
plane.
It was not immediately clear
what tripped Mr Biden up the first time, but shortly after recovering, he fell
twice more before dusting himself off. Security officials, meanwhile, looked on
with concern from the ground.
The president 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 in Atlanta,
Georgia.
Reporters travelling with Mr
Biden said it had been a windy morning at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where
Air Force One took off.
The White House said he “is
doing 100 per cent fine” after his fall.
“I know folks have seen that
President Biden slipped on his way up the stairs to AF1, but I’m happy to
report that he is just fine and did not even require any attention from the
medical team who travels with him,” said Kate Bedingfield, White House
Communications Director. “Nothing more than a misstep on the stairs.”
American leaders have a history of struggling with the stairs
used to board the aircraft – which has cost the Pentagon more than $5 billion
(£3.5bn), but rarely have the falls been so spectacular.
The commander-in-chief suffered
a hairline fracture in his right foot while playing with his rescue dog Major
in November, requiring him to wear an orthopaedic boot for several weeks.
Mr Biden, who has said he uses a
Peloton bike to keep fit, often makes a point of jogging in a show of his
fitness.
However, questions have been
raised about Mr Biden’s mental, and physical, acuity. The president on Thursday
accidentally called Kamala Harris, Vice President, “President Harris”.
Joe Biden just fell 3 times in a row trying to go up the stairs to Air Force One pic.twitter.com/gTUTckUH32
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) March 19, 2021
No comments