Tipsheet

There's an Update on Biden's Health Status

Katie Pavlich
Katie Pavlich  |  September 26, 2023 12:15 PM

In July, President Joe Biden started taking a shorter staircase into Air Force One in order to avoid tripping or falling. The new stairs are located at the back of the plane. 

Biden’s use of the shorter staircase, which, of course, reduces the risk of a televised fall that goes viral, has more than doubled since Biden’s tumble at the commencement ceremony, according to an analysis by NBC News. In the weeks prior to tripping onstage, Biden used the shorter set of stairs to get on and off the presidential aircraft 37% of the time. In the past seven weeks he’s used them 84% of the time, or 31 out of the 37 times he’s gotten on and off the plane.

The White House did not directly answer a question about whether Biden was using the shorter staircase to minimize the chance of a fall. An aide said the choice comes down to the weather, the airport and whether the press wants a photo on the tarmac with official greeters. (There was no rain Thursday when Biden took the shorter staircase at Joint Base Andrews.)

The move came after President Biden had a series of trips up the Air Force One stairs (including a fall), but specifically after taking a serious fall during remarks at the Air Force Academy in June. Staff blamed a sandbag and poor advance work for the incident.

Now, a new piece in Axios details Biden has been doing physical therapy in an effort to avoid future falls or tripping. 

With a physical therapist, Biden has been doing exercises to improve his balance as far back as November 2021. Since his stumble in June, he has been wearing tennis shoes more often to avoid slipping — and using the short stairs on Air Force One, entering the plane on a lower deck than before.

Biden's balance difficulties are likely the result of what his physician has diagnosed as "a combination of significant spinal arthritis" and "mild post-fracture foot arthritis."

Biden's doctor has recommended exercises for balance, which he called "proprioceptive maintenance maneuvers."

What the maneuvers entail is unclear.

Some senior Democrats privately have been frustrated with Biden's advance team for months, citing the sandbag incident and noting that the president often appears not to know which direction to go after he speaks at a podium.

Throughout it all, White House Physician Colonel Kevin O'Connor has been made unavailable to reporters for questioning.