Joe Biden boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on a recent trip to Philadelphia.
In recent months, Mr. Biden has increasingly eschewed the grander, more traditional entry and exit points at the front of the aircraft in favor of a shorter ladder that retracts into the belly of the aircraft.
The change was first reported by Politico, which reported that White House aides were doing their best to downplay «any sign of physical weakness» in the 80-year-old Biden.
The president stumbled numerous times as he climbed up up the Air Force One ladder, drawing everyone's attention to his age.
Poll after poll showed that Mr. Biden's age is a major concern for voters as he seeks a second term in 2024.
Mr. Biden has traditionally used the front of a presidential plane to board Air Force One, which requires a set of 26-odd steps that are delivered to the plane's door by truck and can often be wobbly. Sharp-eyed White House reporters have noticed that Mr. Biden has begun using a ladder that folds up into the air. Force One and is closer to the asphalt, about 14 steps.
The lower ladder is traditionally used by presidents when a large portable ladder is not practical, for example, in bad weather.
The White House has publicly denied claims that the change is due to mobility considerations.
When a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre if the change was due to Biden's recent fall down the stairs, she replied, «I don't have a decision-making process.»
She added, «I'm sure.» there is a protocol that is used for — for Air Force One. I just don't have it.»
However, two Biden advisers privately confirmed to Politico that there was a «deliberate shift» to ease the president's journey.
This is one of a number of adjustments the White House is believed to have made for America's oldest president, limiting his daily public appearances and reducing his travel schedule.
His decision to wear sneakers aboard Air Force One during his recent trip to London was another concession to the president's age, the publication reports.
p>
Previously, Mr. Biden was a stickler for wearing smart shoes only, believing everything else would be non-presidential, according to one insider, but has «softened that stance.»
The president's gait has become noticeably stiffer over the past year, and he is still occasionally bothered by a broken right foot he sustained while playing with one of his dogs more than two years ago.
Mr. Biden used a smaller ladder to board Air Force One on every leg of his recent European tour not, which included stops in London, Vilnius and Helsinki.
While he used the large and stately disembarkation stairs for official welcome ceremonies in each of the three cities, he did not use them to climb back on board.
However, Mr. Biden still stumbled halfway down the shorter steps ahead of a flight from Helsinki last week after meeting with Nordic leaders.
Mr. Biden often used the smaller steps on domestic trips to Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia yu and Rocky Mount and back.
The 80-year-old Biden has endured a series of well-documented falls since becoming the oldest U.S. president since being elected in November 2020. Obama and Ronald Reagan were caught on camera as they lost their balance as they exited the plane.
And Gerald Ford was relentlessly ridiculed as «commander-in-chief of the klutz» when he fell on the last few steps of Air Force One during a visit to Austria.
Mr. Biden's most dramatic recent trip came when he tripped and fell on a sandbag on stage during a military graduation ceremony in June.
The president took the incident lightly, joking, «I got a sandbag,» when he returned to the White House afterwards.
But a string of incidents only heightened concerns about his mental and physical fitness to serve in America's top office.
Co A White House worker told Politico about Air Force One's use of stairs: «There are a number of factors that go into logistical decisions about this.»
This includes «the weather, which airport we're landing at, and whether a formal salute is planned for the runway where we expect the press will need an official photo at the foot of the tall stairs,» the official said.
p>
The official added: «There's no single hard and fast rule — it's a decision made taking into account many factors in a variety of conditions and circumstances».
Свежие комментарии