President Biden suffered a hard fall at the Air Force Academy ceremony in Colorado, but seemed to be uninjured.
White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor has said that Biden, who’s 80, walks with a “stiffened gait” in part because of wear and tear on his spine and nerve damage in his feet.
When some other Presidents have stumbled and fallen, such as Republican Gerald Ford did several times from 1974-1977, they were mercilessly mocked by the media. NBC’s Saturday Night Live aired running skits depicting a stumbling, bumbling Ford.
However, when Biden falls, many in the media largely defend him or minimize the falls with articles such as: “Biden trips and falls…recovers quickly” (Reuters), “Biden isn’t the only politician to fall” (Washington Post), “He was not the first president to take such a spill” (Propaganda site Snopes), and “Biden wasn’t injured at all..” (Local 10).
When President Trump gingerly stepped down a wet and slippery ramp at a West Point ceremony on June 13, 2020, many in the press wrote that he seemed ill. “Trump’s walk down ramp at West Point raises health questions” (New York Times), “Trump struggles with ramps and water” (The Late Late Show with James Corden), “Why the Donald Trump-West Point ramp story actually matters” (CNN). At his rallies, Trump later joked about the media’s treatment of him.
Responding to news of Biden’s fall, Trump told reporters, “I hope he wasn’t hurt.”
Biden’s public falls after his election
June 1, 2023: Biden falls to the ground at a US Air Force Academy ceremony.
June 18, 2022: Biden’s foot gets stuck in the pedal of his bike and he falls.
March 19, 2021: Biden stumbles several times and then falls up the stairs boarding Air Force One.
Nov. 28, 2020: Biden falls and breaks his foot in two places. He says he slipped on a rug after getting out of the shower and while joking and grabbing his dog by the tail. He wore an orthopedic boot for several weeks.
Read: Daily Mail counts Biden’s stumbles
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