President Joe Biden experienced a series of stumbles while ascending the stairs to Air Force One. Despite the White House’s assurance that the president is “completely fine,” the incident involving the 78-year-old leader has garnered significant media attention. The event took place at Joint Base Andrews shortly before Biden was scheduled to depart for Atlanta, Georgia.
During his ascent, Biden lost his balance and needed to use the handrail for support, which he did on multiple occasions. After the third stumble, he fell to his knees but quickly stood up and completed the climb. Once at the top, he offered a salute before boarding the aircraft.
As Biden settled into his seat on the plane, White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reassured the media that the president was in good health and preparing for his trip. She noted that the strong winds might have contributed to the incident, mentioning, “It’s quite windy out here. I nearly lost my footing myself while coming up the steps.”
Wind speeds at Joint Base Andrews were recorded at approximately 19 miles per hour, classified as a “fresh breeze” according to the Beaufort Scale.
Upon arriving in Atlanta, Biden awaited Vice President Kamala Harris, who had flown in on Air Force Two and needed to transfer to Air Force One for their scheduled meeting.
After their meeting, Harris descended the stairs following Biden, who descended slowly as reporters observed.
The incident has become a topic of debate, with conservative commentators using it as a point of criticism regarding Biden’s health. Recent slip-ups, including Biden’s recent reference to Harris as “President Harris,” have fueled further scrutiny.
Critics like Donald Trump Jr. have highlighted perceived inconsistencies in media coverage, pointing out that similar incidents involving former President Trump received more negative attention.
Amid these controversies, Biden recently called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “killer,” leading to strained relations and Putin’s decision to withdraw a diplomatic envoy to the U.S. There are concerns that this might impact U.S.-Russia relations.
In his early months in office, Biden has surpassed his COVID-19 vaccination goals. Reflecting on his achievements, he remarked to CDC staff, “When I set a goal of 100 million vaccine doses in the first 100 days, people were skeptical. Now, the question is why we didn’t set a higher target.”
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