Biden falls on stage at Air Force graduation, Trump reacts
What's the story
United States (US) President Joe Biden tripped and fell on stage at the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in Colorado on Thursday. The 80-year-old took a tumble as he turned to his left to shake a graduate's hand following his address. He was then helped back to his feet by an Air Force official and two Secret Service agents.
Twitter Post
Clip of Biden falling on stage
Joe Biden just took a big fall on the stage at the Air Force Academy graduation. This is elder abuse. He isn’t well. pic.twitter.com/jpT2EjgyNH
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 1, 2023
Reaction
I hope Biden wasn't hurt: Trump
Reacting to the incident, former US President Donald Trump reportedly said, "He actually fell down? Well, I hope he wasn't hurt... The whole thing is crazy. You've got to be careful about that... even if you have to tiptoe down the ramp." "That's a bad place to fall... that's not inspiring," he added, per Fox News.
Aftermath
I got sandbagged: Biden tells reporters
Meanwhile, White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt downplayed the incident, tweeting that Biden was "fine." "There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands," he said. Later in the day, when reporters asked Biden how he was feeling, he said, "I got sandbagged!" and did "a bit of footwork" to show he was fighting fit.
Twitter Post
Watch: Biden talks to press after returning to White House
“I got sandbagged!” @POTUS tells reporters who asked how he was feeling after his fall this afternoon when he returned to the White House. pic.twitter.com/msyX22MPiS
— Molly Nagle (@MollyNagle3) June 1, 2023
More information
Biden has stumbled multiple times in past
Notably, this is not the first time the president has tripped on camera. Biden recently nearly tripped at the G7 Summit in Japan but caught himself. He once got caught up in his bike pedals while stopping to interact with the media near his home in Delaware. Moreover, he also stumbled while going up the stairs to board Air Force One.