President Biden is reportedly using “lower stairs” in Air Force One to avoid tripping incidents, Politico reported Wednesday, noting an “intentional shift” in an effort to make presidential travel easier.
Politico reported that two of Biden’s advisers “privately acknowledged an intentional shift to steer the 80-year-old president to the lower stairs more often to make his travel easier and limit the possibility for missteps.”
The outlet also highlighted the president was wearing sneakers as opposed to dress shoes recently.
“The sneakers are another concession to comfort necessitated by age,” Politico reported. “One person close to the president said Biden used to always resist wearing anything other than dress shoes, believing that any other footwear look was unpresidential. But he has eased up on that stance in recent months.”
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Bloomberg’s Justin Sink asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about the reported change and whether the president was having “mobility problems.”
“I don’t have any decision process to walk through,” Jean-Pierre responded. “I’m sure there’s a protocol that’s used for the — for Air Force One. I just don’t have one.”
Biden has tripped multiple times walking up the stairs of Air Force One.
The outlet reported that the president’s aides were doing everything they can to “limit situations where any signs of physical frailty might be on heightened display.”
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Presidents typically use the shorter stairs during bad weather, according to Politico.
Voters, Democrats and even President Biden’s aides have expressed concern for the president’s age and his ability to serve a second term as he campaigns for 2024 re-election.
The president has touted his age as an advantage and told MSNBC in an interview in May that he knows “more than the vast majority of people.”
“Because I have acquired a hell of a lot of wisdom,” Biden said. “I know more than the vast majority of people. I’m more experienced than anybody who has ever run for the office and I think I’ve proven myself to be honorable as well as also effective.”
The White House didn’t return a request for comment.
