White House officials have said that President Joe Biden is “fine” after tripping and falling over at an event in Colorado.
“There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands,” White House communications director Ben LaBolt wrote on Twitter. “He’s fine.” White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden had boarded the plane flashing “a big smile”.
The President stumbled on a sandbag while handing out diplomas at a graduation ceremony for the US Air Force Academy.
“I got sandbagged!” the president was seen joking with reporters as he arrived back at the White House that evening.
He had been standing for about an hour and a half to shake hands with each of the 921 graduating cadets.
Biden, who is the nation’s oldest serving president at 80, was helped back onto his feet and appeared to be unhurt after Thursday’s fall.
As he was being hoisted up by an Air Force official and two members of his Secret Service detail, Biden was shown on camera appearing to point at one of the two sandbags used to support his teleprompter.
He was seen walking back to his seat unassisted and later jogging back to his motorcade when the ceremony ended.
Critics have often said Biden is too old to run for a second term as president.
Biden is far from the first head of state to stumble in front of the cameras. President Gerald Ford stumbled down the stairs of Air Force One in 1975, while President Barack Obama tripped while climbing the stairs at a 2012 ceremony.
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