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Biden trips, tumbles on Air Force stage
Biden, 80, who had delivered the commencement address to graduates of the military academy, had just shaken hands with a cadet and begun walking back to his seat when he fell.
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US President Joe Biden is helped up after falling during the graduation ceremony at the United States Air Force Academy, just north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, on June 1, 2023.
(AFP/Brendan Smialowski)
P
resident Joe Biden took a face-first tumble on Thursday after tripping over an obstacle on stage at the Air Force Academy in Colorado, but he appeared unhurt -- and joked about it later.
Biden, 80, who had delivered the commencement address to graduates of the military academy, had just shaken hands with a cadet and begun walking back to his seat when he fell.
Air Force personnel helped him back up and he did not appear to require further help.
As he rose, Biden pointed to the object that had apparently caught his foot. It resembled a small black sandbag on the stage.
White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt tweeted shortly afterward that "he's fine. There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands."
Returning by Air Force One and Marine One to the White House later, Biden had another spot of bad luck: he bumped his head exiting the door of the helicopter.
He showed no sign of injury as he walked across the South Lawn and quipped to reporters that "I got sandbagged."
Biden is the oldest person ever in the presidency and is seeking a second term in the 2024 election. His official doctor's report this year declared him physically fit and he exercises regularly.
In November 2020, shortly after winning his election against the incumbent Donald Trump, Biden broke his foot while playing with a pet dog.
Biden, the oldest person to hold the Oval Office, is running for re-election in 2024. His leading Republican opponent, Trump, turns 77 this month.
Trump, asked about Biden's fall during an Iowa rally, said, "He actually fell down? Well I hope he wasn’t hurt."
Trump added, "You gotta be careful about that," even if you have to "tip-toe down a ramp."
In June 2020, Trump's slow, careful descent of a ramp at the US Military Academy at West Point had some observers questioning his agility. "The last thing I was going to do is ‘fall’ for the Fake News to have fun with," Trump had tweeted afterward.
This February, doctors declared Biden healthy and fit for duty after a physical examination, noting the president does not drink alcohol or use tobacco and exercises "at least" five times a week.
Last June, Biden fell as he was dismounting his bicycle, after snaring a foot in a toe clip, but was uninjured.
Polls show Americans are concerned about anyone over age 75 becoming president. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that falls among adults 65 and older are the leading cause of fatal injury for that age group.
