It wasn’t until two months into his term that President Joe Biden caused concern by tripping and falling down the stairs of Air Force One.
Since then, there has been a downward trajectory for incidents where the oldest president in US history lost his balance or touched the ground.
Biden, 80, will enter the campaign trail trying to persuade most Americans — and even many Democrats — that he’s up for the job a second time around.
And his latest fall at the Air Force Academy in Colorado, where he had to be helped up, will raise more questions.
A Washington Post – ABC News A May poll found only a third of Americans think Biden is physically healthy enough for the job and six in 10 said he lacked the mental acuity.
Doctors determined he was in good health, but said his gait remained “stiff” and could worsen over time.
Biden walks back on a sandbag after falling on stage at the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in Colorado on Thursday
Age has already become a central issue in the 2024 campaign, with Republican candidate Nikki Haley calling for all politicians over the age of 75 – including 76-year-old Donald Trump – to be subjected to “proficiency tests”.
DailyMail.com has broken down some of the incidents that have raised concerns about Biden.
MARCH 2021: Biden stumbles down the stairs while boarding Air Force One
Biden, then 78, was boarding the plane at Joint Base Andrews just before noon for a flight to Atlanta when he tripped.
He clung to the railing, straightened up and continued but lost his footing a second time then a third.
On the third trip, he fell to his knees. He got up and then continued up the stairs before saluting at the top and then disappearing into the plane.
Once on the plane, deputy White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters he was “100% fine.”
The White House blamed the wind. But that wasn’t the only time he struggled to navigate milestones that proved tricky for his predecessors, including Gerald Ford.
During a visit to Austria in 1975, Ford’s knee gave way and he tumbled down the steps of Air Force One.
MARCH 2021: Biden’s first stumble as he climbed the stairs of Air Force One. The White House blamed the wind for its struggles
He was on his way to Atlanta when he took the steps, just two months after his inauguration
JUNE 2022: Biden falls off his bike in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Biden was at his beach house with Jill for the weekend when he went out for a bike ride and stopped briefly to answer questions from the press.
He was stopped in front of a group of reporters when he jumped sideways and hit the tarmac.
Gasps could be heard as he lay on the ground for 10 seconds before being aided by the Secret Service.
The White House later said his foot got caught in a pedal as he tried to dismount and he was not injured.
Biden, the oldest US president ever, is pictured sitting on the sidewalk after the fall, which happened around 9.30am on Saturday, caught on the bike
Gasps sounded after the president unexpectedly fell on Saturday as he tried to dismount his bike to chat with a crowd that had gathered along a Rehoboth Beach bike path
MAY 2022: Biden almost falls while climbing the stairs of Air Force One en route to Illinois
Biden was on his way to Illinois to discuss the recent drop in inflation — but still at its highest level in 40 years — when he slipped again entering Air Force One.
He managed to regain his composure, however, and did not touch the ground.
Biden is known to take pride in staying fit.
He trains every morning with a trainer, focusing on bodybuilding and strength training.
He is an avid cyclist, who rides regularly in his home in Delaware.
And during the working day, he will often go out for fresh air and walks in the park, often accompanied by his German Shepherd pup, Commander, whom he will welcome into the family in December 2021.
FEBRUARY 2023: Biden stumbles on the stairs of Air Force One on his way back to the US from Ukraine and Poland
Biden was wrapping up a visit to Europe when he nearly ran into Air Force One’s footsteps.
The 80-year-old was climbing the steps with his usual vigor when he misplaced his foot.
He didn’t fall, however, and used his hands for support.
FEBRUARY 2023: Biden concluded his *trip* to Ukraine and Poland by falling down the stairs of Air Force One on his way back to the US
MARCH 2023: Biden stumbles briefly while boarding a flight to Selma, Alabama
One of Biden’s brief tremors on the stairs came during a trip to Alabama.
He was climbing the steps of Air Force One when he seemed to lose his balance and continued.
President Joe Biden again struggled to navigate the stairs of Air Force One – stumbling briefly as he boarded the presidential plane on Sunday as it departed Selma, Alabama
MAY 2023: Biden travels by walking the stairs of Itsukushima Shrine in Japan
Biden stumbled as he descended the stairs of Itsukushima Shrine in his rush to greet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The president was late – all the other G7 leaders had arrived on Miyajima Island and were waiting for him to begin the tour of the holy site – when he stumbled and caught himself before falling.
He and Kishida carried on as if the slide hadn’t happened, joining the rest of the heads of state to view the iconic “floating” torii gate.
The evening on the famous island, known for its wild deer, capped the end of a long first day at the top.
After the tour, the world leaders – the heads of the United States, Japan, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the European Union – had a dinner private on the island.
President Joe Biden stumbled down the stairs of Itsukushima Shrine
