After President Joe Biden repeatedly fell while walking up the stairs to Air Force One on Friday afternoon, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre suggested that the wind was responsible for the president’s mishap.
“It’s pretty windy outside,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One after the incident, reports The New York Times. “It’s very windy. I almost fell coming up the steps myself. He is doing 100 percent fine.”
Another angle pic.twitter.com/BQkfn9eRcQ
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 19, 2021
The incident occurred shortly before Biden departed Joint Base Andrews for Atlanta, where he and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with leaders in the Asian American community. After Biden boarded the plane, White House Communications Director Kate Beddingfield said on Twitter that the incident was nothing to worry about.
“I know folks have seen that President Biden slipped on his way up the stairs to AF1, but I’m happy to report that he is just fine and did not even require any attention from the medical team who travels with him. Nothing more than a misstep on the stairs.”
I know folks have seen that President Biden slipped on his way up the stairs to AF1, but I’m happy to report that he is just fine and did not even require any attention from the medical team who travels with him. Nothing more than a misstep on the stairs.
— Kate Bedingfield (@WHCommsDir) March 19, 2021
Biden, 78, faced questions about his physical fitness for office while on the 2020 campaign trail, at a time when he was still vying to become the oldest president of the United States ever elected. In one specific interview, Biden poked at then-President Donald Trump following a viral video that showed him walking down a ramp slowly.
“If you win and you’re sworn in — and you’ve had this question 40 times — but you would be the oldest president in U.S. history. Some people might suggest — the Trump campaign ads have suggested, you’ve lost a step or two. What’s your response to that?” a reporter asked Biden.
“Look at how he steps and look how I step. Watch how I run up ramps and he stumbles down ramps. Okay, c’mon,” remarked Biden. “It’s a legitimate question to ask. Legitimate question to ask of both of us. Thank God my health is good, but I’m a great respecter of fate, I realize that anything can happen to anybody at any age, any time. But I promise you, I would not be running unless I was in very good health. I work out every morning, and I am in relatively good shape. As my mother would say, knock on wood.”
Biden went to say that it’s a “legitimate question” to ask both candidates about their health
“I’m a great respecter of fate, I realize anything can happen to anybody at any age, any time. But I promise you I would not be running unless I was in very good health.” pic.twitter.com/Qjjgl4BN68
— Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) September 7, 2020