White House quietly taking steps to compensate for Biden’s age: Report
Christian Datoc
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Age is arguably President Joe Biden’s biggest obstacle heading into the 2024 election cycle, and though his team has publicly denied it being an issue, they have quietly taken steps to account for the octogenarian’s limitations.
If reelected, Biden would be 86 by the end of a second term. He is already the oldest person to ever serve as president.
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A Wednesday report from Politico notes that Biden is frequently forgoing the large, portable stairs at the main Air Force One entrance in favor of a smaller, retractable set near the cockpit. The president has taken a number of falls during his two-plus years in office while boarding Air Force One, in addition to his onstage tumble at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
The undercarriage staircase has only 14 steps, compared to nearly 30 on the larger set. The outlet noted that the larger, portable staircase can oftentimes become slick regardless of the weather and are wobbly. Former President Barack Obama also nearly fell down those steps while deboarding Air Force One in March of 2015.
Biden has not totally abandoned the grander AF1 staircase. During his recent trip to Europe, he frequently de-planed via the larger staircase after landing where countries had rolled out the red carpet for his visits. Still, he used the smaller stairs during every departure that trip, and again during both departures surrounding his Thursday visit to Philadelphia Pennsylvania.
Pressed on this protocol shift during a recent press gaggle, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she had nothing to add on the subject.
“I don’t have any decision process to walk through,” she told reporters. “I’m sure there’s a protocol that’s used for the — for Air Force One. I just don’t have one.”
Two anonymous White House officials, however, told Politico that there has been a concerted effort by staff to direct the president to the shorter staircase.
Though Biden remains relatively healthy compared to others his age, his physician has commented on his limited capacities in recent years. His most recent bill of health noted a significantly stiffened gate. The president has also been suffering from some lingering foot pain resulting from an injury he suffered during the 2020 transition, and frequently foregoes his staple dress shoes for sneakers while traveling to and from Camp David and his homes in Delaware.
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Biden will turn 82 years old soon after the 2024 election. The White House did not return the Washington Examiner‘s requests for comment.