- A Secret Service agent now stands at the bottom of the stairs to Air Force One.
- An additional precaution in case President Joe Biden falls again
- It comes amid a series of stumbles since taking office and growing concerns about the president’s physical and mental fitness for the job.
A Secret Service agent now stands at the bottom of the stairs to Air Force One as an extra precaution in case President Joe Biden, 81, falls again.
Some of the most minute details of Biden’s routine have come under scrutiny in recent months, including his routine getting on and off his plane amid a series of stumbles.
After a series of stumbles, Biden over the past year began climbing the shorter stairs at the bottom of Air Force One, instead of going up and down the larger, much longer stairs traditionally used to board the Boeing 747 presidential.
Physical setbacks are accompanied by an increase in verbal gaffes, calling into question his mental fitness for the position. A whopping 86 percent of voters in a poll released in early February do not believe the oldest in American history is fit for another term in the White House, even though Biden ran virtually unopposed for the presidency. Democratic nomination.
A Secret Service agent (pictured left) now stands at the bottom of the stairs to Air Force One as an extra precaution in case President Joe Biden falls again.
Biden has fallen several times on the steps of Air Force One, resulting in frequent use of the shorter, lower staircase over the past year. Pictured: Biden falls to his knees after slipping three times climbing the stairs to Air Force One on March 18, 2021.
It comes after special counsel Robert Hur’s report was released this month and revealed through interviews with Biden that he noted the president’s “poor memory” and his “diminished faculties with advancing age.”
A New York Times report acknowledged the addition of a Secret Service agent who joined members of the military gathered at the bottom of the stairs to Air Force One as Biden boards and disembarks the plane in an extra level of caution for the trip-prone president.
Biden’s entire life in office has been under careful management in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.
His gait has become unsteady after Biden refused to wear an orthopedic boot after fracturing his foot, which likely led to some of the stumbles and missteps during his presidency. Doctors have determined that he is healthy, but have said that his gait remains “stiff” and could worsen as time goes by.
Just two months after Biden’s inauguration, concerns were raised about the danger of his trip.
Biden looks at a sandbag as he is helped off the ground after falling on the stage at the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 1, 2023.
Two Air Force agents and a Secret Service agent are seen waiting for Biden at the bottom of the shortest stairs leading to the lower entrance to Air Force One.
In March 2021, Biden, who was 78 years old at the time, stumbled up the stairs while boarding Air Force One. As he stabilized himself to continue climbing the stairs, he lost his balance twice more and fell to his knees before successfully reaching the top.
The White House blamed the wind that day, but the stumble would soon become routine for Biden.
In May 2022, Biden slipped while entering Air Force One. This time he did not fall to the ground.
Then, just a month later, Biden had an embarrassing moment when he fell off his bike during a ride with his wife Jill while they were at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
The president was stopping to speak to a group of reporters when he fell sideways to the ground and remained there for 10 seconds before the Secret Service helped him up.
The White House’s excuse this time was that Biden’s foot got caught in a pedal when he tried to get off.
Biden ended a visit to Europe in February 2023 by almost falling again on the steps of Air Force One while climbing the stairs. He used his hands on the steps to steady himself and avoid falling completely.
One of his worst falls occurred after he gave a commencement speech at the Air Force Academy in Colorado in June 2023.
The president tripped over a sandbag while walking on stage and fell to the floor. It took the Secret Service and other spectators to help Biden to his feet.