Whoa there Joe! Biden almost trips down the short stairs of Air Force One – just after the secret mission to avoid him slipping again was revealed

President Joe Biden slipped and nearly fell down the small stairs of Air Force One on Tuesday, just after it was revealed that he is doing balance exercises, wearing sneakers and using the shorter stairs in an effort to avoid trips.

The president used the lower steps of Air Force One as he left the presidential plane in Michigan to meet with striking auto workers. Near the bottom his heel slipped, but he caught himself before he fell.

He also appeared to be wearing hiking boots or some sort of work boots, which were sturdier on his feet than regular shoes.

The 80-year-old president has stumbled several times in his nearly three years in power: he fell while boarding Air Force One, tripped over several flights of stairs and took a dramatic fall at the Air Force Academy while came across a sandbag.

With polls showing a majority of voters increasingly concerned about his age, Biden’s team is taking extra steps to prevent him from stumbling in public. Axios reported, betting that any mockery he receives will be worth it to avoid a public fallout.

And something has been spotted. The president broke the internet in July when he wore Skechers without socks before boarding Air Force One to attend a NATO summit in Europe, with users hotly debating whether or not bare feet were acceptable.

But the White House also faces legitimate questions about the president’s health. Biden is the oldest president in American history and would be 86 years old if he wins a second term.

Biden began wearing sneakers and using Air Force One’s shorter stairs more often since he tripped over a sandbag during the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony, leaving him sprawled on the ground as he was helped by officials.

That smaller staircase – which goes into the belly of the 747 – is about half the size of the staircase used to access the upper part of the plane: 14 stairs versus 26.

The White House has said many factors go into determining which stairs are used, but did not provide details on the process.

“I don’t have to go through a decision-making process,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in June. “I’m sure there’s a protocol in place for Air Force One. I just don’t have one.’

She pointed to Biden’s annual physical exams and argued that the administration has been transparent about the president’s health.

In both reports on Biden’s physical condition, the president’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, noted that the president suffered from a “stiffened ambulatory gait.” Biden broke his foot during the 2020 presidential campaign and had to wear a boot.

O’Connor recommended physiotherapy – specifically ‘proprioceptive maintenance maneuvers’ – and shoe orthoses to assist with walking.

Proprioception training focuses on the sense of body positioning in space and may include balance exercises, tai chi and yoga.

Biden, who works out most mornings at the White House gym, has been doing balance exercises with Drew Contreras, who was a physical therapist in the Army and worked with Barack Obama when he was in the White House.

He’s also been wearing sneakers more often since his trip in June — a moment that went viral online, causing the country to collectively cringe and critics to chime in.

White House spokesman Andrew Bates mocked the latest report about Biden’s shoes and physical therapy.

“Move over, brown suit!”, he wrote on X. “Can confirm: @POTUS is one of millions of Americans with sneakers. Do you notice that when others do the same, the tone of the media is different?’

The president isn’t the only politician wearing the more casual shoes.

There was a big debate about men’s shoes in May, when House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senator Mitch McConnell and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries all wore sneakers in the Oval Office.

Some commentators deplored the informality. Others defended a man’s right to wear the “dress sneaker.”

But behind the optics lies genuine concern about Biden’s advancing years. And Republicans are turning it into a political issue, often posting videos online in which Biden appears lost or confused, fueling speculation about his health.

In addition to his physical stumbles, Biden has also made verbal blunders and sometimes struggled to find words.

This summer, on Take Your Child to Work Day, Biden seemed to forget how many grandchildren he had as he spoke to the children of White House staff.

“So, let me see. I have one in New York, two in Philadelphia – or is it three? No, three, because I have a granddaughter who – I don’t know. You’re confusing me,” he said.

He also couldn’t name the last country he visited or his favorite movie.

White House staff have defended the president as committed and energetic.

And O’Connor said in his latest report on Biden’s health that the president was “fit for duty and fully carrying out all of his responsibilities without any waivers or accommodations.”

However, several polls show that voters are concerned about the issue. An NBC poll released Sunday found that 74% of voters are concerned about Biden’s age as the country prepares for next year’s elections.

For all his stumbles and blunders, the president was sharp at other times and joked with the best of them.

“You’re saying I’m old?” he said at the White House Correspondents dinner in April. “I say I am wise.”