When an 80-year-old man misses a step, stumbles and then catches himself, we resign it to the infirmities of age, move on and forget the whole thing.
But when it is the leader of the free world — whose fitness to hold that job will be coming under even more intense scrutiny in the months to come — the world notices. Hence the focus on President Joe Biden when he stumbled yet again while climbing up the stairs to Air Force One on Sunday after making a trip to Selma, Alabama, where he spoke at a civil rights event.
“Steady on, Joe!” proclaimed the U.K. Daily Mail in its coverage.
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Twitter argued over whether the incident was an indication that there should be a concern for Biden’s competence, an opportunity for comedy or a chance to condemn Biden’s critics.
Again: https://t.co/MfvMmzqZzP
— 🇺🇸 Mike Davis 🇺🇸 (@mrddmia) March 6, 2023
— @stevenvoiceover (@stevenvoiceover) March 6, 2023
— SAVander (@SAVande07803615) March 6, 2023
We have all tripped going up stairs at some time in our life…but okay, hypocrites
— OhThom (@ThommyB8) March 6, 2023
The incident followed a graver slip when Biden was in Warsaw, Poland, after a visit to Europe last month.
Biden also tripped three times going up the stairs to the presidential plane in March 2021, and there have been a few smaller stumbles along the way.
Whenever Joe Biden stumbles on the stairs of Air Force One, the jet must trend. pic.twitter.com/OQNWv64Jrw
— Christopher Kiiza (@christokiiza) March 7, 2023
Is Joe Biden fit for the presidency?
Yes: 0% (0 Votes)
No: 100% (1 Votes)
This has been fodder for former President Donald Trump, who seeks the Republican nomination for president. Trump threw in a dig at Biden on Saturday while speaking to the Conservative Political Action Conference, according to the Daily Mail.
Trump referenced Biden’s fall off of a bicycle last summer after he stopped to talk to onlookers.
“We all smile when he falls down stairs and things, it’s cute, when he falls off his bicycle,” Trump said.
“You know what amazes me? The reporters didn’t catch him when the bike was going down, they were standing right next to him. They let him fall.”
