President Biden just missed taking a brutal spill Wednesday, catching his foot on a step as he took the stage at the National Peace Officers Memorial Service at the Capitol.
The 81-year-old Biden managed to reach the microphone without further incident before paying his respects to law enforcement officers who have given their lives in the line of duty.
Eagle-eyed critics of the president were quick to share video of the near-tumble, led by the Republican National Committee’s rapid response X account.
The close call with the stairs came hours after Biden released a dramatic challenge to his rival, former President Donald Trump, to face him in a debate.
By midday, the presumptive Republican and Democratic nominees had agreed to showdowns on June 27 and Sept. 10, hosted by CNN and ABC News, respectively.
In his remarks, Biden told his audience of police officers that Americans “owe you as a nation.”
“Police officer is not just what you do,” the president said. “It’s who you are.”
Age has loomed large in the Nov. 5 presidential election. Biden is the oldest commander-in-chief in US history and would be 86 at the end of a second four-year term.
Trump, 77, would surpass Biden as the oldest president if he wins the rematch and serves out a full term himself.
Biden has acknowledged his age is a legitimate concern and poked fun at it from time to time. His aides and allies have been adamant that he is as sharp and vibrant as ever.
However, voters may be spooked by a number of incidents of Biden struggling to keep his balance, including repeated stumbles on the steps of Air Force One and a heavy fall on the stage of the Air Force Academy’s graduation ceremony in June last year.
When told Biden is too old to be effective as president, 69% said they either somewhat or strongly agreed, while only 27% somewhat or strongly disagreed, according to a recent New York Times/Siena College survey.
By contrast, just 41% somewhat or strongly agreed that Trump was too old to be effective, compared to 56% who either strongly or somewhat disagreed.
