President Joe Biden slipped and nearly fell while descending the small stairs of Air Force One on Tuesday, shortly after it was revealed that he was doing balance exercises, wearing sneakers and using the shorter stairs to avoid stumbling.
The president used the lower stairs of Air Force One as he exited the presidential plane in Michigan to meet with striking auto workers. His heel slipped just before he hit the ground, but he caught himself before he fell.
He also appeared to be wearing hiking or work boots, which were more stable on his feet than dress shoes.
President Biden slipped and caught himself before falling while using the small staircase to exit Air Force One in Michigan
The 80-year-old president has stumbled several times in his nearly three years in office – he fell while boarding Air Force One, tripped on various stairs and took a dramatic fall at the Air Force Academy when he hit a sandbag.
Now that polls show a majority of voters are increasingly concerned about his age, Biden’s team is taking extra measures to prevent him from stumbling in public, Axios reported, betting that any ridicule he receives will will be worthwhile to avoid a public downfall.
And there was some ridicule. The president caused a stir online in July when he wore Skechers without socks before boarding Air Force One to fly to a NATO summit in Europe, with users hotly debating whether bare feet were acceptable or not.
But the White House also has to address legitimate questions about the president’s health. Biden is the oldest president in American history and, if he were to win a second term, would be 86 years old when it ends.
Since Biden tripped over a sandbag at the Air Force Academy’s graduation ceremony, leaving him lying on the floor and having officers help him get up, Biden began wearing sneakers and using Air Force One’s shorter stairs more frequently.
This smaller staircase, which leads into the belly of the 747, is about half the size of the staircase used to access the upper part of the aircraft: 14 steps versus 26.
Biden appeared to be wearing hiking or work boots and used the lower stairs to board Air Force One for his trip to Michigan
President Biden wore Sketchers without socks when he used the lower stairs of Air Force One to board the plane in July
Biden took further precautions to avoid stumbling after his dramatic fall at the Air Force Academy in June
The White House has said many factors go into deciding which staircase to use, but has not elaborated on the process.
“I don’t have to go through a decision-making process,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in June. “I’m sure there’s a protocol that’s used on Air Force One. ‘I just don’t have one.’
She pointed to Biden’s annual physical exam and argued that the administration has been transparent about the president’s health.
In both reports of Biden’s physical exams, the president’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, stated that the president suffers from a “stiff gait”. Biden broke his foot during the 2020 presidential campaign and had to wear a boot.
O’Connor recommended physical therapy – particularly “proprioceptive maintenance maneuvers” – and shoe inserts to help him walk.
Proprioception training focuses on the sense of body positioning in space and may include balance exercises, tai chi, and yoga.
Biden, who works out most mornings in the White House gym, did balance exercises with Drew Contreras, who was a physical therapist in the Army and worked with Barack Obama when he was in the White House.
President Biden is wearing more sneakers – above, he is wearing the casual shoes in September as he leaves the White House with First Lady Jill Biden
Biden has also used Air Force One’s lower staircase more frequently – just 14 steps compared to the 26 steps on the larger staircase
He’s also been wearing sneakers more frequently since his trip in June – a moment that went viral online, making the country cringe and galvanizing critics.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates scoffed at the latest report about Biden’s footwear and physical therapy.
“Move over, tan suit!” he wrote on
The president isn’t the only politician wearing the more casual shoes.
There was a big debate about men’s shoes in May when House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senator Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries all wore sneakers in the Oval Office.
Some commentators complained about the informality. Others defended a man’s right to wear the “sturdy sneaker.”
But behind the optics lies real concern about Biden’s advancing years. And Republicans are turning it into a political issue, frequently posting online videos that show Biden appearing lost or confused, fueling speculation about his health.
In addition to his physical stumbles, Biden also made verbal gaffes and had difficulty with words at times.
This summer on Take Your Child to Work Day, Biden seemed to forget how many grandchildren he had as he spoke to the children of White House staffers.
“So, let me see.” I have one in New York, two in Philadelphia – or is it three? No, three, because I have a granddaughter who – I don’t know. “You’re confusing me,” he said.
He also couldn’t name the last country he visited or his favorite movie.
White House aides have defended the president as engaging and energetic.
And O’Connor said in his latest report on Biden’s health that the president “is fit for duty and is fully discharging all his duties without exception or concession.”
The White House defends President Biden as engaged and energetic. The president, a frequent cyclist, goes for a bike ride in Rehoboth in August
However, Biden also fell off his bike in June 2022
MARCH 2021: Biden stumbled for the first time while jumping up the stairs of Air Force One. The White House blamed its struggles on the wind
However, several polls have shown that voters are concerned about the issue. An NBC poll released Sunday found that 74% of voters are concerned about Biden’s age as the country prepares for next year’s election.
For all his stumbles and blunders, the president was sharp at other times and joked with the best of them.
“You say I’m ancient?” he said at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April. “I say I am wise.”