Biden stumbles again while boarding Air Force One, this time on a shorter staircase, despite the less challenging ascent.
While in Helsinki, Finland, the 80-year-old president ascended about halfway up the 14-step staircase connected to the presidential plane when he took a misstep. He appeared to brace himself for impact but quickly recovered and made it to the aircraft’s lower entrance.
As Air Force One prepared to depart for Joint Base Andrews after the NATO summit in Lithuania and meetings with Nordic leaders, Biden turned and waved to onlookers at Helsinki-Vantaan International Airport.
Since his fall at the Air Force Academy in Colorado last month, the president has been observed using a shorter set of stairs to board Air Force One. During a graduation ceremony, he tripped over a sandbag, prompting concerns about his safety. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that she was unaware of any decision process regarding which set of stairs the president uses when boarding the aircraft.
Previous presidents have reportedly utilized the shorter stairs during inclement weather conditions to facilitate safer entry and exit from the highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft.
Thursday’s stumble marks at least the fourth time Biden has fallen while boarding Air Force One. In February, he encountered balance issues while returning from an international trip and fell forward about halfway up the stairs of the plane in Warsaw, Poland. During that incident, he was using the aircraft’s longer set of stairs.
Joe Biden stumbles on the Air Force One steps once again 🎥: Reuters #joebiden #news #worldnews #fyp #foryoupage #airforceone #whitehouse #poland
In a five-page report after the president’s annual physical, White House doctor Kevin O’Connor highlighted Biden’s stiff gait due to “significant spinal arthritis, mild post-fracture foot arthritis, and a mild sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet.”
Following a week filled with gaffes, the oldest president in US history concludes his visit to Europe. He mistakenly referred to Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir as a “daughter of Ireland,” called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “Vladimir,” and skipped the opening dinner of the summit, which is typically a significant diplomatic event.
