White House officials have confirmed that President Joe Biden is “fine” after tripping and falling during an event in Colorado. While handing out diplomas at a graduation ceremony for the US Air Force Academy, Biden stumbled on a sandbag.
Despite being the nation’s oldest serving president at 80, he was helped back up and appeared to be unhurt after the fall. Jokingly, Biden told reporters upon returning to the White House, “I got sandbagged!”
He had been standing for an extended period, shaking hands with each of the 921 graduating cadets. Footage shows him pointing at a sandbag used to support his teleprompter as he was assisted by an Air Force official and two Secret Service members.
Biden walked back to his seat unassisted and later jogged back to his motorcade when the ceremony concluded. White House communications director Ben LaBolt confirmed that the sandbag caused the incident and reassured everyone that the president was fine. Polls have shown concerns among voters about Biden’s age, and incidents like this have contributed to the ongoing discussion.
Former President Donald Trump, a potential 2024 Republican candidate, responded to the fall but expressed hopes that Biden wasn’t hurt. Other political figures, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, also commented on the incident. Biden’s last physical examination in February affirmed his fitness for duty, noting some age-related issues but no significant changes since the previous examination. Notably, Biden is not the first president to stumble publicly, as past presidents have also had similar incidents.
