Steady on Joe! Biden, 81, catches himself after tripping on a step again

Time:2024-05-17 05:25:27Source:Global Grasp news portal

President Joe Biden had a near-miss when walking up steps to address the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service in front of the Capitol Building Wednesday.

The 81-year-old's left toe hit the step, leading to a slight stumble, but the president regained his footing, preventing a bigger spill. 

The close call came as the step was marked with yellow and black tape, to show a distinction from the red carpeting on the makeshift stage. 

The president has fallen up Air Force One's stairs several times - so much that he now predominantly uses a shorter set of stairs - tripped over a sandbag and fell off his bike during a Rehoboth Beach trip in June 2022. 

At the same time, Americans have told pollsters that they worry about Biden's ability to carry out a second term, as he's the country's oldest president in history. 

President Joe Biden, 81, had a near miss Wednesday catching his left toe on a step as he was about to speak at the National Peace Officers' Memorial Service in front of the U.S. Capitol

President Joe Biden, 81, had a near miss Wednesday catching his left toe on a step as he was about to speak at the National Peace Officers' Memorial Service in front of the U.S. Capitol 

The president regained his footing, preventing himself from yet another embarassing spill. The president has fallen up Air Force One's steps, fallen off his bike and tripped over a sandbag

The president regained his footing, preventing himself from yet another embarassing spill. The president has fallen up Air Force One's steps, fallen off his bike and tripped over a sandbag 

Biden will be 82 on inauguration day 2025 if he beats former President Donald Trump and earns a second term. 

He'll turn 86 in the weeks following the 2028 presidential election. 

Trump will turn 78 next month and was the country oldest president to be sworn-in when he was inaugurated in January 2017. 

A Quinnipiac poll from February found that 67 percent of voters said that Biden is too old to effectively serve another term. 

In the same poll, 57 percent said the same of Trump. 

When voters were asked whether Biden was physically up to the task 62 percent said no, a similar number to the 64 percent who said Biden mentally couldn't handle a second term.  

When the same questions were asked of Trump just 37 percent said he wasn't physically up for the job, while 51 percent said Trump wasn't mentally fit enough to serve another term. 

The steps were marked with bold black and yellow tape to avoid people falling on the red carpeting draped over the makeshift stage in front of the U.S. Capitol Building

The steps were marked with bold black and yellow tape to avoid people falling on the red carpeting draped over the makeshift stage in front of the U.S. Capitol Building 

President Joe Biden addressed family members of fallen police officers and talked about how he understood their pain, having lost a wife, daughter and adult son

President Joe Biden addressed family members of fallen police officers and talked about how he understood their pain, having lost a wife, daughter and adult son 

During the president's brief remarks Wednesday - dedicated to the families of fallen police officers amid Washington, D.C.'s Police Week - Biden called attention to his own losses - son Beau and his first wife Neilia and daughter Naomi. 

'I know what it's like,' he said. 

'Only one thing that helped: family,' he advised. 

He called police officers the 'steel spine' of the country. 

'I've unfortunately spoken at too many funerals of too many police officers,' he also said. 

He pointed to recent visits he had with family members of fallen officers in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

'Everytime you put on that shield your family wonders if that call will come,' he said. 'We owe you as a nation.' 

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