Trump’s Shortcut Into Air Force One Raises Eyebrows After White House’s Shaky Explanation
President Donald Trump had another headline-grabbing incident involving stairs that has generated more questions about the 79-year-old politician’s well-being.
Trump needed support on the morning of Oct. 19 as he boarded the Air Force One in Palm Beach following a weekend of golfing at his private club.
He was seen using small stairs to board the presidential plane allegedly fueled by “heightened security measures.” The Daily Beast pointed out that Trump did not address the stairs when speaking with journalists on Air Force One during the trip back to Washington.
Eric Trump, the president’s son, did make a public comment about the alleged “hunting stand,” which was supposedly found in a tree in the vicinity of the Palm Beach International Airport upon arrival on Oct. 17, as reported by multiple news outlets.
“The Secret Service did a GREAT job finding this,” Eric wrote on X around 3:50 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon along with a screenshot of the Fox News headline, a photo of his father, and an image of what looks to be a hunting stand on a tree branch.
Apparently, Trump did exit Air Force One using the normal tall stairs after landing at Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, Maryland on Sunday.
Despite going back to the longer stairway in Maryland, Trump still faced heat over the most recent notable experience involving steps amid his negative approval ratings and constant concerns about his health.
“His ratings are down so they had to come up with another sympathy ploy,” one Yahoo reader theorized. A second person joked, “The large stairs intimidate his hands.”
Another commenter wondered, “How much more can they hide? He is mentally and physically shot.” One skeptic on X posted, “BS. It’s because he’s old, frail and out of shape.”
“Yea, ok… small stairs are for health reasons, not heightened security,” an additional doubter tweeted, which led to Trump supporters calling that particular X user a “disgrace”.
The uncertainty surrounding the FBI’s explanation for Trump having to walk up Air Force One’s shorter steps stems from previous clips of Trump having trouble with stairs.
In June, Trump was filmed momentarily stumbling on the Air Force One stairs before eventually making it to the doorway at the top. He then turned back to the cameras to wave and pump his fist.
The MAGA leader had another viral Air Force One moment in August when a clip of his ascent up the plane’s stairs had observers paying attention to how tightly Trump held the railing as he slowly went step by step.
Then in October, Trump’s struggles entering Air Force One went from using stairs to closing an umbrella. The Republican politician had such a difficult time that one of his aides had to step in to help with the simple task.
The constant mishaps with stairs and umbrellas feed into the growing speculation that Trump could be dealing with serious mental and physical health issues, despite Physician to the President Capt. Sean P. Barbabella recently insisting the president is in “excellent health.”
Barbabella’s latest medical evaluation of Trump comes after the doctor previously diagnosed him with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition caused by damaged leg veins from blood pooling.
Symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency include hyperpigmentation as well as swelling of the legs and ankles. Meanwhile, mistrust over the Trump administration’s official announcements about the president’s health continues to run rampant online.
In particular, photographs of Trump’s bruised hands and swollen ankles sparked widespread skepticism. He has also publicly complained about standing too long during meetings, shining a brighter spotlight on his overall fitness.
