President Joe Biden on Thursday tripped on a sandbag and fell after he completed handing out diplomas at the US Air Force Academy commencement in Colorado. The Biden appeared fine afterward, walking without assistance to his seat in the stands.
The White House confirmed the president was fine after the fall. He was seen smiling and jogging toward his vehicle at the ceremony’s conclusion.
The stumble began as Biden was jogging away from center stage, where earlier he’d delivered a commencement address to the academy’s graduates. He spent more than 90 minutes handing out diplomas and congratulating hundreds of cadets.
As he was moving toward his seat, he tripped, falling to the ground. The president landed on his right hip before lifting himself up on his right hand.
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Several men, including an official with the Air Force Academy and two Secret Service agents, grasped onto Biden’s arms to help him back to his feet.
“He’s fine. There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands,” communications director Ben LaBolt wrote on Twitter.
Earlier, during his speech, Biden told US Air Force Academy graduates they were entering a rapidly changing world as he stressed the critical role of US support for its allies and partners amid a “proliferating” global challenges from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to strategic competition with China, as well as climate change and Artificial Intelligence.
He also stressed how America’s global partnerships are a “sign of strength” and praised the “incredible” people of Ukraine.
“The American people’s support for Ukraine will not waiver. We always stand up for democracies, always,” Biden said to applause.
Watch the video of the fall below:
#BREAKING President Biden trips and falls during Air Force graduation ceremony. He was helped up at walked away unassisted. pic.twitter.com/ZwlNjboRkC
— CaliforniaNewsWatch (@CANews_Watch) June 1, 2023
