President Joe Biden took an awkward step down the stairs of Air Force One just hours after his White House staffers were mocking an Axios report on a "don't trip" secret mission to preempt damage control on potential campaign missteps.
C-SPAN video of his descent down the stairs show him catching himself with his right hand on the stair railing as his right foot misstepped.
The near slip comes as White House trolled an Axios report of Biden's handlers and campaign staffers on a "don't-let-him-trip mission," comparing it to the overblown outrage over former President Barack Obama having worn a tan suit.
"Move over, tan suit!" White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said on X Tuesday, linking to a CBS News report on sneakers becoming a professional footwear choice in Congress. "Can confirm: @POTUS is one of the millions of Americans with sneakers.
"Notice that when others do the same, the media's tone is different?
"As sneakers take over the workplace, the fashion phenomenon is making its way to Congress."
White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt piled on the mocking of Axios' report, also using the tan suit talking point.
"The single greatest scandal in presidential history (since President Obama wore a tan suit)," LaBolt said on X.
But Biden was not wearing sneakers on the trek down the lower stairs of Air Force One. It appeared to be hiking boots, according to the Daily Mail.
Biden staff and campaign concerned about his balance, confusion, and stiffened gait have urged him to wear sneakers to avoid a fall and potential negative headlines about his age and fitness for office.
The watchful eyes on the president are akin to what former President Donald Trump and Biden critics said was a strategy to keep Biden on the campaign trail from his basement during the 2020 pandemic, according to Axios.
Biden's White House physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, has recommended exercises for the president's balance and fitness due to the 80-year-old's stiff gait, which is caused by "a combination of significant spinal arthritis" and "mild post-fracture foot arthritis," according to publicly released medical records.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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