Trump, 78, Stumbles Climbing Stairs to Air Force One
The moment recalled a similar coordination fumble made by former president Joe Biden.
The pressures of the presidency and a very public feud with former “First Buddy” Elon Musk appear to be tripping up Donald Trump.
The MAGA president was captured by C-Span tripping up the stairs to Air Force One on Sunday en route to Camp David, where he will meet “a lot of people, including generals... and admirals.”
Trump took a moment to take questions from waiting reporters, who asked him about sending troops into California to respond to intensifying protests across Los Angeles in response to ICE raids in the area. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also in tow.
When asked about invoking the Insurrection Act in California, which would give authority to 2,000 National Guard members to act as police officers in the state, Trump responded, “Depends on whether or not there is an insurrection.”
ADVERTISEMENT
He gave a direct “no” when asked if he feels an insurrection has happened in the state, but he alleged that there are “violent people” in the protests, and “We are not going to let them get away with it.”
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
He added, “We are not going to let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden.”

Screenshot: C-Span
In an ironic turn, Trump made his way up the stairs of Air Force One and tripped halfway up the stairs, nearly face-planting. The moment recalled similar gaffes made by former President Joe Biden as he clumsily entered and exited Air Force One.

Former President Joe Biden stumbling up the stairs to Air Force One in Maryland on March 19, 2021.
ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images
Although Trump recovered quickly, social media users took notice of the parallels.
“Had this been Biden, there would be Breaking News all over tv media networks rn,” commented X user @SaintLaurant.
Had this been Biden, there would be Breaking News all over tv media networks rn.
— Claire S🤍 (@SaintLaurant) June 8, 2025
Another X commentator added, “The media won’t say a thing about his mental acuity.”
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.

