March 19, 2021- 2:00 p.m
A White House spokeswoman said Friday that President Biden fell on the steps of Air Force One because “it’s pretty windy outside.”
White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard the presidential aircraft that she also was nearly toppled by the wind.
“It’s pretty windy outside. It’s very windy. I almost fell coming up the steps myself,” Jean-Pierre said.
She added the Biden “is doing 100 percent.”
According to the National Weather Service, Joint Base Andrews in Maryland is experiencing winds of more than 20 miles per hour with gusts up to 25 mph.
However, the wind did not prevent the plane from taking off for a trip to Atlanta where Biden will meet with community leaders about a shooting spree that killed eight at area massage parlors. He also will visit the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic.
The White House hastily downplayed the significance of Biden falling.
White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield tweeted, “I know folks have seen that President Biden slipped on his way up the stairs to AF1, but I’m happy to report that he is just fine and did not even require any attention from the medical team who travels with him. Nothing more than a misstep on the stairs.”
Biden, 78, fractured his foot in November while playing with his three-year old German shepherd Major. Biden said he tripped on a rug after playfully tugging the animal’s tail.
