Trump Reaches the Four Steps, Hesitates as If Unsure His Feet Will Follow — Then Things Get Strange as Viewers Zoom In
Donald Trump has not made progress in overcoming his phobia of tumbling down the stairs. And maybe that is best, considering he nearly took a tumble despite gripping the railing as he walked up the staircase to board Air Force One this summer.
His latest bout of tackling steps has proven that the president is just as shaken as he has always been when confronting the daunting task. The Republican politician welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Mar-a-Lago on Dec. 29.
‘How Much More Can They Hide?’: Trump’s Shortcut Into Air Force One Raises Eyebrows After White House’s Shaky Explanation
Footage of Trump awaiting the foreign leader’s arrival sparked online banter about his obvious discomfort with having to descend four steps to greet his guest.
At first, the 79-year-old almost seemed bewildered at the idea. He looked down at his feet, then, with his eyebrows raised, he repeatedly looked up and down, then towards an off-camera Netanyahu, before sputtering a few words and flailing his hands in the air as if he was confirming his guest. He eventually accepted his fate and made his way down the steps, his gaze locked on his feet the whole way down.
The two men then exchanged warm hellos with handshakes and posed for a photo. The consensus among Trump’s most critical audience agreed that he appeared “concerned” about the short trip to the lower ground. “Trump scared of stairs now,” said one viewer.
🚨 BREAKING: DOWN GOES DONALD
Trump just stumbled and almost faceplanted boarding Air Force One. I’ve been telling you — he drags his legs and he’s clearly not well.
When Biden stumbled, the media lost its mind and Tapper wrote an entire fake “nonfiction” book.
Where are they… pic.twitter.com/MZlHfbfDUJ
— Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) June 8, 2025
“Handrail is too far away,” one X user tweeted, noting that the black-and-gold railings on either side were well beyond Trump’s reach as he moved straight down the center. Another viewer suggested that’s exactly why he hesitated, pointing out where he began: “Watch where he started.”
A third individual quipped, “Apparently walking down at staircase wasn’t a part of his cognitive tests,” taking a swipe at the businessman’s boastful remarks about acing multiple cognitive tests since he took office in January.
Trump, looking rather concerned about going down a few stairs, greets Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago pic.twitter.com/hEgwObsn7Y
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 29, 2025
“If he’s feeling that confident, he should go ahead and take those stairs at full speed,” reads another reaction laced with sarcasm. In September, the reality TV showman acknowledged his slow and steady footwork on the steps.
“I’m very careful. You know, when I walk downstairs— like I’m on stairs like these stairs —I walk very slowly. Nobody has to set a record,” he told military officials. “Just try not to fall because it doesn’t work out well… Just walk nice and easy. You don’t have to set any record.”
An even harsher hot take shared on IG Threads dredged up the rumor that Trump suffers from incontinence issues. That person typed, “From what I hear it’s hard to walk down steps when your depends is full of the same amount of s–t you are.”
The widespread claim about Trump using adult diapers has not been confirmed or denied by his administration. Any attempt at a rational explanation would struggle to downplay countless instances where people have turned their noses up, seemingly in disgust, while standing next to the elected leader.
This is what happens when you surround yourself with yes-men and yes-women👇🏽. Who’s gonna tell #DiaperDon about the outfit? The emperor wears diapers 👀👀👀👀 #BabyTRUMP https://t.co/UAk4y0mxYj
— 💫 🇵🇸🕊️ #HumanRightsIsAMust 🕊️🇵🇸💫 (@DestiGrace1) March 7, 2020
The viral clip also reignited rumors that Trump suffered a stroke. Speculation first surfaced over Labor Day weekend when Trump went missing from the public eye. When he re-emerged, a grainy photo revealed that his face was unusually droopy.
Since then, eagle-eyed social media users have been on the lookout for any semblance of proof that his administration is hiding details about his health. “Lookin’ a little more lopsided in the face too,” read an observation. A second commenter wondered, “Why did he do jazz hands and why is only the left side of his face working?”
He and his cronies continue to insist that he is in stellar physical shape despite the oddities.