Donald Trump might be regretting some of the things he mocked Joe Biden for after suffering a slight mishap of his own.
The US President had a less-than-graceful moment this weekend when he nearly face-planted while climbing the steps to Air Force One.
Trump was gripping the handrail as he made his way up to the aircraft, when his left foot caught the edge of a step. He stumbled, caught himself with a quick hand to the rail, and powered through like nothing happened.
But, of course, it definitely happened... and the cameras caught it all.
The video made its rounds online within hours, showing Trump momentarily losing his footing before continuing up the stairs. A still photographer also snapped the moment mid-stumble, and the internet wasted no time putting it on blast.
Now, to be fair, presidential stair stumbles are far from rare. Barack Obama had one. Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford had theirs. Joe Biden has had a few too, and that’s where things get *spicy*.
Because Trump didn’t just laugh off Biden’s stumbles when they happened. He relentlessly mocked them.
In 2023, Trump mocked Biden for falling at the Air Force graduation ceremony in Colorado saying it was “not inspiring” for the graduates to have seen the then-POTUS take a tumble over a sandbag, per The Independent.
Fox News and other right-wing outlets happily amplified the commentary, turning Biden’s occasional physical slips into a running narrative about age, fitness, and competence. There were montages, memes, slow-motion replays; the works.
So now, with Trump himself caught mid-wobble? Yeah, the internet is having an absolute field day.
“Donald Trump was caught on camera stumbling and nearly tripping while boarding Air Force One. Some American netizens referenced his past remarks mocking Biden's falls, saying, 'Trump's cognitive abilities make him unfit for office,'" one user wrote on X, alongside a side-by-side of Trump and Biden both stumbling on the iconic plane stairs.
Someone else added: "I'm surprised he hasn't replaced those stairs with a portable escalator of some kind."
Others pointed out the irony, saying: “A hypocrite tripping up the stairs. I demand Trump take a cognitive test, from a real doctor, live on tv.”
To be clear, this wasn’t a catastrophic fall. Trump didn’t hit the ground, didn’t need help, and didn’t miss a beat once he caught his balance. But when you’ve made other people’s stumbles part of your political comedy routine, the optics hit a little harder.
Especially when it comes following an election cycle where both major candidates, Trump and Biden, were under constant scrutiny for their age, health, and ability to appear “presidential.”
For Trump, who often brands himself as the energetic, tough-talking alternative to Biden, this was an awkward reminder that no one, not even the most media-savvy president, is immune to a misstep.
And while the video probably won’t sway voters one way or another, it has given the internet a golden meme opportunity. TikToks are already popping up. Edits with dramatic music are circulating. One user even dubbed in 'The Climb' by Miley Cyrus, because, well, the internet has no chill.
So what’s the lesson here? Maybe just a bit of humility. Because the higher the stairs (and the louder the shade you throw) the harder the stumble hits when the cameras are rolling.