White House Releases Statement on Biden's Air Force One Fall, Blames 'Windy' Conditions
President Joe Biden is “doing 100 percent fine” after the he stumbled and fell while boarding Air Force One in Maryland on Friday.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre blamed the episode on the strong winds at Joint Base Andrews, Reuters reported.
“It’s very windy outside,” Jean-Pierre told reporters.
“He is doing 100 percent fine.”
It is not clear at this time if a traveling physician checked on the president after his fall.
The 78-year-old Biden stumbled multiple times while boarding Air Force One en route to Atlanta.
He first tripped about halfway up the stairs and then tripped again before he briefly fell on his knee.
Biden got up, rubbed his knee and then continued up the stairs where he gave a salute to those watching below.
Another angle pic.twitter.com/BQkfn9eRcQ
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 19, 2021
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This is not Biden’s first fall in recent months; he suffered a hairline fracture after he fell while playing with one of his dogs in November.
While Biden is the oldest person to assume the presidency, he is not the first to fall on the steps leading to Air Force One.
Former President Gerald Ford fell down the staircase in 1975 while visiting Austria.
Friday’s incident occurred before Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with Asian-American leaders in Atlanta following the deadly shooting Tuesday that killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent, CNN reported.
“The president will offer his support to the community in Georgia and across the country and highlight his commitment to combating xenophobia, intolerance and hate,” Jean-Pierre told reporters.
“You can expect the president to meet the moment that we are in.”
Biden and Harris will also visit the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during their trip.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.