President Joe Biden’s use of a shorter staircase to avoid embarrassing falls whilst boarding Air Force One has nearly tripled since his highly publicized tumble at a commencement ceremony earlier this year, according to an analysis by NBC News. The President’s exploitation of the diminutive steps, which have been relocated to the back of the aircraft, is now used approximately 84% of the time he embarks or disembarks the plane, a significant increase from the 37% before his initial stumble.
The White House was asked whether Biden opted for the shorter steps to evade the risk of a fall and did not issue a direct response. A spokesperson ambiguously cited various factors, such as weather conditions, the location of the airport, and the press’s interest in taking photographs on the tarmac. However, the President’s staff has acknowledged that the decision for him to utilize the shorter staircase, which enters the plane on a lower deck, was taken to avoid further embarrassing slips. Biden’s condition is the result of severe spinal arthritis and mild post-fractured foot arthritis, which causes him to experience difficulty with balance.
Biden's doctor has recommended exercises for balance, which he called "proprioceptive maintenance maneuvers."
What the maneuvers entail is unclear.
"I have never heard the term 'proprioceptive maintenance maneuvers,’” the chair of USC’s physical therapy program told me. pic.twitter.com/vSxNaL1evB— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) September 26, 2023
Now, an Axios report has claimed that Biden has been regularly visiting a physical therapist to improve his balance since November 2020. The President has been prescribed “proprioceptive maintenance maneuvers,” as recommended by his physician, which people close to him have suggested are physical exercises to help him maintain his balance. Biden has been photographed wearing tennis shoes more frequently, a move he may hope will diminish the probability of slipping and falling.
Democrats, including some in the Biden admin, are terrified that the president will have a bad fall — with a nightmare scenario of it happening in the weeks before the November 2024 election.
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) September 26, 2023
Senior members of the Democratic Party have reportedly been critical of Biden’s team for months, noting the sandbag incident as one example of substandard preparation that has plagued the 46th President of the United States’ administration. Furthermore, the President has frequently been observed perplexingly unsure which direction to take after finishing his speeches at a podium, causing frustration amongst Democratic Party members.
Colonel Kevin O’Connor, one of Biden’s physicians, has refused several requests from reporters to answer questions about the President’s numerous falls and physical conditions. Despite the President’s physical fitness program, Biden’s continual uncertainty with balance is causing concern amongst the Republican Party and the American public, who question the President’s capability to carry out his duties effectively.
