CNN
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President Joe Biden tripped over a sandbag and fell as he finished handing out diplomas at the US Air Force Academy commencement in Colorado on Thursday.
Biden appeared fine afterward, walking unaided to his seat in the stands. He was seen smiling and jogging to his vehicle at the end of the ceremony.
The White House said the president was fine after the fall and later joked about it, yelling “I’m hooked!” to reporters after leaving Marine One Thursday evening.
The stumble began as Biden walked away from center stage, where he earlier 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 made his way to his seat, he tripped and fell to the floor. The president landed on his right hip before rising with his right hand.
A group of men, including an Air Force Academy official and two Secret Service agents, grabbed Biden’s arms to help him to his feet.
When he got back up, Biden pointed to the ground where he tripped, indicating that something had gotten in his way. Video of the moment showed sandbags placed in front of the podium near where Biden had been. Previously, sandbags had been used to weigh down two teleprompters.
The President returned to his seat on the dais without attendance, and appeared in good spirits as the ceremony concluded.
“It’s okay. There was a sandbag on stage while I was shaking hands,” communications director Ben LaBolt wrote on Twitter.
The president did not respond to questions about the episode as he left Colorado an hour after the trip.
Biden is 80 years old, the nation’s oldest president, and is running for a second term. He has had previous stumbles in public, including falling to the ground during a bike ride last year in Delaware. He has also been seen slipping down the stairs while boarding Air Force One.
Despite these incidents, Biden’s doctor has said he is physically fit to serve in office. In recent physicals, Biden’s doctor has examined the president’s stiff gait, determining it was the result of “wear and tear” changes in Biden’s spine.
The most recent physical determined that the condition was unchanged, albeit with “possibly tighter hamstrings and calves.”
Biden’s aides say his schedule remains busy and point to long days on foreign trips as evidence of his continued vigor.
In his speech to the graduates, Biden made light of his age, which his political rivals have used as proof of his inability to serve another term.
“When I graduated high school 300 years ago, I applied to the Naval Academy,” he said with a laugh.
Biden told graduates of the US Air Force Academy that they were entering a rapidly changing world as he stressed the critical role of America’s support to its allies and partners and emphasized the assistance from the USA to Ukraine.
Biden said the cadets will have “a lot to deal with” as they enter service amid a changing world with “proliferating” global challenges, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to strategic competition with China, as such as climate change and artificial intelligence.
And he stressed how America’s global partnerships are a “sign of strength” and praised the “amazing” people of Ukraine.
“The American people’s support for Ukraine will not waver. We always stand up for democracies, always,” Biden said to applause.
This story has been updated with additional details.
