Title: President Biden Stumbles Again While Boarding Air Force One
Byline: Victor Nava | July 13, 2023 | 7:34pm
President Biden, aged 80, experienced another stumble while attempting to board Air Force One on Thursday. Despite using a shorter and less challenging set of stairs, he stumbled roughly halfway up the 14-step staircase connected to the presidential plane in Helsinki, Finland. Fortunately, he quickly recovered and managed to make it up to the aircraft’s lower entrance.
As Air Force One prepared to depart for Joint Base Andrews after his visit with Nordic leaders following a two-day NATO summit in Lithuania, President Biden turned and waved to onlookers at Helsinki-Vantaan International Airport. This incident marks the fourth time he has tripped while walking up or down the stairs of Air Force One.
Last month, the President took a hard fall at the Air Force Academy in Colorado during a graduation ceremony. Since then, he has been observed using the shorter set of stairs when boarding the aircraft. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated last month that she was unaware of any decision process regarding which set of stairs the President uses.
Reports suggest that previous presidents have also used the shorter stairs when there were rough weather conditions. However, it remains unclear if this influenced President Biden’s choice.
During a previous international trip in February, President Biden faced similar difficulties maintaining his balance while climbing the stairs to board Air Force One as he fell forward about halfway up the longer set of stairs, leaving Warsaw, Poland.
White House doctor Kevin O’Connor mentioned in a five-page report after the President’s annual physical that Biden has a stiff gait due to “significant spinal arthritis, mild post-fracture foot arthritis, and a mild sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet.”
President Biden’s stumble occurred at the end of a gaffe-filled week in Europe, where he referred to Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir as a “daughter of Ireland,” mistook Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s name for Vladimir, and skipped the summit’s opening dinner, an important diplomatic event.
As President Biden leaves Europe on Thursday night, observers remain vigilant about his mobility and safety, particularly during his boarding of Air Force One.