A new report has revealed that the White House quietly made several changes to protect aging President Joe Biden from mobility-related issues following the many accidents he experienced throughout his presidency.
One such accommodation involves Air Force One, as Biden has tripped or stumbled while walking up the stairs to the plane on multiple occasions.
In an attempt to keep the 80-year-old president safe in his old age, advisors have changed the Air Force One routine — steering Biden to use a smaller staircase to enter through the belly of the plane. The original staircase has 26 stairs, while the new one has only 14.
According to the new report from Politico, “While many Biden advisers POLITICO contacted would not comment publicly on the change, two privately acknowledged an intentional shift to steer the 80-year-old president to the lower stairs more often to make his travel easier and limit the possibility for missteps.”
The second key change made to accommodate the frail president involves aids encouraging him to wear sneakers rather than his usual dress shoes. Politico described the move as “another concession to comfort necessitated by age.”
The White House is attempting to downplay the changes, with one official claiming that switching staircases for Air Force One was simply a “logistical” decision based on a “variety of factors.
“There are a series of factors that go into the logistical decision-making on this, including weather, what kind of airport we’re landing at and whether there is a formal greeting planned for the tarmac where we expect that press will want an official photo at the bottom of the tall stairs,” the official wrote in a statement to Politico. “There’s not one hard and fast rule — it is a decision made on a variety of factors in a wide range of settings and circumstances.”
This news comes soon after the White House was forced to publicly acknowledge that Biden uses a CPAP machine for sleep apnea at night, an admission that only came because of numerous reports about strange indentations on the president’s face — which reportedly came from the CPAP mask.
Biden is using a CPAP machine for sleep apnea, the White House admits after strap lines were visible on his face https://t.co/ADnTURxqwh
— Ben Owen🇺🇸 (@hrkbenowen) June 28, 2023
