President Joe Biden slipped in public again this week, sparking further concern about his health and ability to effectively serve in office. The latest tumble is one of a series of concerns surrounding the 80-year-old president.
The latest stumble occurred Thursday as Biden ascended the staircase onto Air Force One in Helsinki, Finland. Biden attended a series of diplomatic meetings in Europe, including the summit of NATO leaders in Lithuania.
After waving to the crowd, the president started climbing the stairs into the jet. During his climbing up the 14 stairs, Biden slipped and had to catch himself.
WATCH: After taking zero questions from the press, Joe Biden appears to almost fall as he boards Air Force One.
They even gave him a smaller staircase and he still struggles 😂
pic.twitter.com/Da2P5YW7fc— Proud Elephant 🇺🇸🦅 (@ProudElephantUS) July 13, 2023
Biden engaged with other American allies during the summit and discussed a number of international security issues. However, the president declined to attend a dinner of the leaders Tuesday.
The White House said at the time that the president “has four full days of official business and is preparing for a big speech tomorrow in addition to another day at the summit.”
Biden had spent the previous Saturday on the beach.
The president’s physical struggles dovetail with wider concerns about his health and his potential ability to serve another term.
The recent fall is not the only one this year. Biden fell during the Air Force Academy graduation last month. He blamed the fall on a sandbag on the graduation stage.
Later the same day, Biden hit his head on the presidential helicopter Marine One.
Further concerns about the president’s health emerged after he met with reporters last month with physical marks on his face. The White House quickly explained that the grooves on his cheeks were caused by using a CPAP machine to sleep to handle the effects of sleep apnea.
“Since 2008, the President has disclosed his history with sleep apnea in thorough medical reports. He used a CPAP machine last night, which is common for people with that history,” a White House spokesperson said.
The increasing concerns come amid a number of polls in which Americans expressed concern regarding the president’s health, especially when contrasted with his predecessor, former President Donald Trump.
