United States: Biden falls on stage during a military ceremony

A minor fall of the American president, but a fall in public in front of the television cameras. This is what happened to Joe Biden on Thursday in Colorado. The image is not very flattering.

Joe Biden speaks during a military ceremony Thursday in Colorado Springs, western United States, June 1, 2023. Getty Images via AFP - MARC PISCOTTY

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US President Joe Biden, 80, "is fine" according to the White House, after a fall that seems at first glance not serious during a military ceremony Thursday in Colorado Springs, in the west of the United States. The Democrat, who had just handed out diplomas to students at the Colorado Air Force Academy, fell forward, receiving himself on his knees and hands, after apparently tripping over a black bag.

Joe Biden then got up with the help of a soldier at his side and his bodyguards. He was seen pointing to this bag, obviously used to ballast a device on the scene, as if to explain the reason for his fall. The president, candidate in the 2024 election against Republican Donald Trump, attended the end of the ceremony, not immediately affecting the fall. He then flew back to Washington, D.C., and climbed the stairs to board without stopping to answer reporters on site.

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He's fine. There was a sandbag on the stage as he shook hands," his communications director, Ben LaBolt, said on Twitter. But the damage is done. The 80-year-old commander-in-chief running for a second term has just fallen during a public event publicized by the White House. There is a lot of mockery and questions about his physical and intellectual capacity to perform his duties.

His political opponents, including Donald Trump, have become accustomed to exploiting unflattering images of the president, recalls our correspondent in Washington, Guillaume Naudin. Because this is not the first time. Joe Biden had already fallen on his bike, stopping in front of the cameras a few months ago. When asked directly about his age, he has a usual answer that might start to get awkward: "Look at moi."

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• United States
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