After a recent video showed President Joe Biden stumbling several times while boarding Air Force One Friday, conservative pundits and Twitter users noted the media hypocrisy as it sought to exaggerate any instance to question former President Donald Trump’s health status, while disregarding instances that call Biden’s health into question.
In the video, President Biden stumbles several times while running up the steps of Air Force One on his way to visit Atlanta, Georgia, to meet with Asian-American community leaders.
The 78-year-old Biden is seen with one hand on the railing when he tripped twice before falling over as he climbed up the stairs of the idling aircraft at Joint Base Andrews.
Many were quick to note the stunning double standard applied to the current and former presidents.
“I remember the press bashing Trump for touching the rail once,” wrote Donald Trump, Jr.
“Biden falls repeatedly but I’m sure he’s the picture of health,” he added. “No wonder all our enemies are pouncing simultaneously and mocking him publicly.”
“FLASHBACK: CNN’s Jim @Acosta reveled in Joe Biden questioning President Trump’s physical stamina: ‘Mr. Trump’s slow dissent down a ramp at a West Point commencement earlier this year,’” recalled journalist Curtis Houck.
“Biden previously bragged about his ability to climb stairs,” wrote Republican strategist Arthur Schwartz. “So it’s fair game.”
“Someone should ask him about this at his press conference,” he added.
“Biden keeps falling up the stairs as he boards Air Force One,” wrote Kellyanne Conway, former senior counselor to President Trump. “It matters.”
“It may matter less if not for the five-alarm fires every time his energetic predecessor touched a handrail or a bottle of water with two hands,” she added.
“Where is the health analysis?” asked former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, tagging major journalists in his post.
“You certainly dished it out on Trump,” he added.
“Don’t worry Ric, I’m sure the media is on it!” quipped libertarian podcast host Dave Rubin.
“Apropos of nothing, here’s a Joe Biden delegate suggesting in June 2020 that perhaps Trump had Parkinson’s for walking down a ramp slowly,” wrote public affairs consultant Drew Holden.
“I expect the NYT to have a whole story speculating on Biden’s health after he fell three times walking up the steps,” wrote columnist Eddie Zipperer.
“Going to be an interesting test of the media that ran ‘Trump grabs handrail’ headlines to see how they handle Biden falling down on the stairs,” wrote Dylan Byers, senior media reporter at NBC News and MSNBC.
“Every news organization is entitled to its own editorial judgment, but if you set the precedent…” he added.
“If this had happened in the previous administration, it would get blanket coverage on CNN and would be part of every late night TV host’s monologue,” wrote reporter Mike Glenn.
“Just gonna leave these here,” wrote political correspondent Jack Posobiec, as he shared images of the media attacking former President Trump for a supposed fear of stairs.
“Perhaps this is connected to why Joe Biden has held zero press conferences,” wrote former CIA Officer Bryan Dean Wright.
“Watching Biden climb the stairs feels like elder abuse,” wrote political commentator Ian Miles Cheong.
“Remember when the media mocked Trump for not walking down a steep ramp fast enough?”
“Biden doesn’t even actually trip on anything. His leg appears to have given out,” he added.
“Trump would frequently, privately give Obama tons of credit for how he negotiated AF1 stairs (which can be daunting),” wrote Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). “‘He always popped down so fast and cool.’”
“‘You fall once and it’s all they remember,’ 45 would say,” he added.
“This is both sad and disturbing,” wrote conservative political commentator Eric Bolling. “We should all be concerned with this.”
On Friday, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said President Biden did not require medical attention after falling twice while climbing the stairs of Air Force One.
“I know folks have seen that President Biden slipped on his way up the stairs to AF1, but I’m happy to report that he is just fine and did not even require any attention from the medical team who travels with him,” Bedingfield wrote on social media.
“Nothing more than a misstep on the stairs,” she added.
Follow Joshua Klein on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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