Then-Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden mocked President Donald Trump last September when he was asked about his fitness for office.
Biden, who fell while walking up the steps to Air Force One on Friday, was asked last September to respond to charges from critics that he had “lost a step or two.”
“Look at how [Trump] steps and look at how I step,” Biden said while laughing. “Watch how I run up ramps and how he stumbles down ramps, okay?”
WATCH:
Biden to @abc27News on Trump and his campaign's suggestion he's "lost a step"
"Look at how [Trump] steps and look at how I step. Watch how I run up ramps and how he stumbles down ramps, okay?" pic.twitter.com/7eJdXm0DKn
— Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) September 7, 2020
Biden’s reference to Trump “stumbl[ing] down ramps” came as Trump walked down a ramp at a slightly slower pace than usual to make sure that he did not fall.
“The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery,” Trump tweeted at the time. “The last thing I was going to do is ‘fall’ for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum!”
WATCH:
Videos posted to social media on Friday showed Biden, 78, repeatedly stumbling while trying to walk up the stairs as he grasped the rail the entire time. Eventually Biden was able to get up the stairs and he turned around and gave a salute.
Biden’s fall comes after he referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “President Harris” this week during a speech and did not correct himself. Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to an attack from Biden this week by saying, “I would say to him: I wish you good health.”
Biden stumbles and falls multiple times on his way up the stairs of Air Force One pic.twitter.com/TP1vQly0G0
— Jewish Deplorable (@TrumpJew2) March 19, 2021
Seattle-based conservative radio host Jason Rantz highlighted newspaper headlines from when Trump cautiously walked down the ramp last year.
- The New York Times: “Trump’s Halting Walk Down Ramp Raises New Health Questions”
- The Washington Post: “Trump tries to explain his slow and unsteady walk down a ramp at West Point”
- The Hill: “Trump defends slow walk down ‘very slippery’ West Point ramp”
- CNN: “Why the Donald Trump-West Point ramp story actually matters”
- Bloomberg: “Trump Says Slippery Ramp, Lack of Handrail Caused Shaky Walk”
CNN: "Why the Donald Trump-West Point ramp story actually matters"
Bloomberg: "Trump Says Slippery Ramp, Lack of Handrail Caused Shaky Walk"
Let's see how these outlets cover this Joe Biden slips story.
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) March 19, 2021
Biden’s fall comes just months after he fell and fractured his foot after he was allegedly chasing around one of his dogs after he got out of the shower.
“What happened was I got out of the shower. I got a dog and anybody who’s been around my house knows — dropped, little pup dropped a ball in front of me. And for me to grab the ball,” Biden claimed during an interview with CNN. “And I’m walking through this little alleyway to get to the bedroom. And I grabbed the ball like this and he ran. And I’m joking, running after him and grab his tail. And what happened was that he slid on a throw rug. And I tripped on the rug he slid on. That’s what happened. Oh man, not a very exciting story.”
This report has been updated to include additional information.