Throughout Joe Biden’s presidency, Donald Trump and his supporters frequently made fun of Biden’s stumbles when walking up the steps onto Air Force One. In 2023, Biden began taking the “short stairs” onto Air Force One.
“Biden, 80, has stumbled on the tall stairs more than once. The short stairs have the distinct advantage of moving most of Biden’s ascent into Air Force One out of public view. But for those who have noticed the shift, it also draws attention to one of Biden’s greatest political liabilities as he seeks reelection: his age,” an NPR story said in August of 2023.
Now, Donald Trump has made a similar move.
Per The Daily Beast, Trump used the small stairs this weekend, when flying back to Washington from Palm Beach. The claim from the White House is that it was done for security reasons, due to the “discovery of a suspicious item in the area.”
Donald Trump Boards Air Force One Using Small Stairs After Suspicious Discovery. What does it seem like events of this nature seem to happen to Velveeta Voldemort when his polling numbers are tanking? Can we say false flag? https://t.co/Y2DmcH1R4V
— ☮️🌊⚓️🍷Debra 🍷⚓️🌊☮️ (@JerZFyreFighter) October 20, 2025
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“The FBI are investigating the item, which officials suspect to be a hunting stand, according to Fox. It was discovered by the Secret Service on Friday, the day before Trump arrived in Florida at Palm Beach International Airport for a golfing weekend at his private resort,” The Beast report said.
“The item was found in a tree that had a clear line of sight to the airport. NBC News cited a senior official familiar with the investigation who said the stand was ‘around 200 yards’ away from an area where Air Force One usually does not park, but used on Friday due to construction at the airport.”
PRESIDENT TRUMP returns from his trip to Florida, waves to the cameras before entering his vehicle. pic.twitter.com/jOkL2ur0gR
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 20, 2025
Trump, like Biden before him, has sometimes stumbled when ascending the stairs of Air Force One.
Per Huff Post, presidents stumbling on those stairs is a fairly common occurrence. President Gerald Ford’s stumbles in the ’70s were famously mocked by Chevy Chase in the first season of Saturday Night Live in 1975.
Photo courtesy of an X screenshot.
