President Joe Biden ended his three-day tour of Europe with just that—a fall down the stairs as he boarded Air Force One in Warsaw for his return to the United States.
Unfamiliar with embarrassing moments on airplane steps, the 80-year-old is also following in the footsteps of several modern-day presidents.
Presidents Barack Obama and Gerald Ford both had problems with the presidential plane stairs, while former President Donald Trump boarded the plane with a piece of toilet paper on his shoe.
Biden’s latest burial on the stairs — the second of his presidency — comes as questions about whether he will run for re-election, and after Republican presidential nominee Nikki Haley announced political candidates over the age of 75 should undergo “skill tests.”
President Joe Biden fell briefly while walking up the stairs to board the Air Force on a Wednesday as he left Warsaw after a three-day trip to Kiev and the Polish capital
When he turned 80 in November, Biden became the first president in history to celebrate that birthday in the White House.
Biden’s most recent fall followed a fall down the stairs in March 2021, just two months into his tenure, on a windy day at Joint Base Andrews, and a fall from his bike in June 2022 during a trip to Rehoboth Beach.
Biden had stepped over to say hello to a group of bystanders and his foot caught on his toe clip, causing him to fall sideways.
He got up immediately after the Secret Service made an effort to help him.
The President also recovered quickly from his Air Force One stair falls.
The stumbling blocks added to the narrative that Biden is prone to slipping.
Although Ford was a physical education student, he also had a reputation for being clumsy.
The most memorable example came on June 1, 1975, when the Republican President fell down the slippery stairs of Air Force One upon arrival in Salzburg, Austria.
The late President Gerald Ford is assisted by a military aide after he slipped and fell down the stairs while disembarking Air Force One on June 1, 1975 during a foreign trip to Salzburg, Austria
President Gerald Ford is helped to his feet after falling down the steps of Air Force One on a trip to Austria in 1975
Former Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer recalled another incident, this time from the 1976 campaign.
He recalled Ford tripping, missing the door and then hitting his head while trying to exit the rear platform of a train in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
There were also several stories about Ford falling while skiing.
Decades earlier, Ford nearly fell overboard while serving as navigating officer on the USS Monterey during World War II.
A wave had smashed the deck of the ship. Ford was rescued after his foot got caught in a grate, they say.
That moment was captured in a statue of Ford that is on display on the USS Ford when the ship is not in use, according to the insider.
If you look closely, you can see that one of the statue’s feet is stuck in a trellis.
Former President Barack Obama briefly stumbled down the stairs of Air Force One on March 30, 2015 while returning to Washington after a golf trip in Florida
Former President Donald Trump is seen with toilet paper on his shoe as he boarded Air Force One for Minneapolis in 2018
Toilet paper sticks to former President Donald Trump’s shoe as he walks to Marine One after departing New York on November 12, 2019
Ford’s clumsiness also became part of his pop culture persona, with Saturday Night Live cast member Chevy Chase using it in his then-presidential plays.
When elected in 2008, President Barack Obama was one of the youngest presidents in the nation.
He notably turned the White House tennis court into a place where he would play his staff basketball games.
Still, Air Force One’s moves became a challenge for the Democratic leader.
He tripped down the stairs on March 30, 2015 while returning from a golf trip in Florida.
Former President Donald Trump hasn’t had any notable falls, but that didn’t draw attention away from his toes.
There have been at least two instances where toilet paper appeared to be stuck to his shoe.
In October 2018, he boarded Air Force One to Minneapolis with a white sheet taped to his left shoe.
And then, in November 2019, as he left New York, it looks like some toilet paper got stuck again.