Thursday 14 / November / 2024
Washington: US President Joe Biden tripped on a sandbag and fell after he handed out the last diploma at a graduation ceremony at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado on Thursday, CNN reported.
He got up quickly and walked back to his seat and appeared fine afterward. In a video after the fall, which went viral on social media, Biden was seen walking without assistance to this seat in the stands. He was also seen smiling and jogging towards his vehicle at the conclusion of the ceremony. After the tripping episode, the White House said the president was fine after the fall, according to CNN.
Biden stumbled as he was jogging away from the podium, where he had just delivered the academy's graduates their commencement address. He congratulated hundreds of cadets and distributed certificates for more than 90 minutes.
He stumbled as he was making his way to his seat and fell on the floor. The president came to rest on his right hip and then stood up using his right hand.
Two Secret Service personnel and an Air Force Academy administrator were among the men who grabbed hold of Biden's arms to help him stand up again.
Biden indicated that something had gotten in his way as he stood back up and gestured towards the spot where he had fallen, CNN reported.
Sandbags were set up in front of the platform close to where Biden had been standing, as seen in the video. Without assistance, the president made his way back to his seat in the audience and seemed upbeat as the ceremony came to a close.
"He's fine. There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands," communications director Ben LaBolt tweeted.
The president remained silent when questioned about the incident as he left Colorado an hour after he fell.
At 80, Biden is the oldest president in the country. He has suffered similar falls, one of which happened in Delaware, his home state, while riding a bike. He was also pictured tripping on the stairs as he boarded Air Force One, CNN reported.
