Joe Biden stumbles again while leaving Air Force One ahead of auto workers strike

The ageing US President Joe Biden was spotted Tuesday slipping the staircase as he was coming out of his Air Force One at the Detroit Metro Airport to participate in an auto workers' strike in Michigan.

According to reports, Joe Biden is seeking the assistance of a physical therapist and using shorter stairs so that he can avoid any potential falls. The 80-year-old went on coming down the stairs after tripping, unbothered.

The event was caught on camera and the particular clip went viral on social media as there have been circulation of reports that the commander-in-chief is carrying out exercises for his physical balance so as to avert any falls in public.

Recent polls suggested that Biden is too old for a second term as he is hoping to get elected for the Oval Office once again in 2024.

The Democrat President has also been spotted using sneakers rather than dress shoes and is using the shorter staircase in Air Force One.

After the video went viral, his critics emerged and took aim at him for being too old to run the country.

"This is a terrible look for the President of the United States," Republican Mike Davis, the former chief counsel for nominations to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, wrote as he shared a video on X — formerly called Twitter.

Despite critics, people came on to defend Joe Biden's slip as Some onlookers, however, jumped to Biden's defense.

“Have you ever slightly stumbled walking downstairs in your life?” liberal influencer Brian Krassenstein scoffed.

"Does that mean you are bad at your job or should be fired?" he continued, before adding that "FDR was literally in a wheelchair throughout his presidency."

"I don’t understand the fixation of the GOP with Biden tripping. He’s an old man, he’s going to do that once in a while," another user commented.

Wearing a baseball cap with the logo of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, Biden addressed banner-waving employees through a megaphone, expressing his solidarity.

Biden conveyed to the workers that the "Big Three" automakers – Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis – were "doing incredibly well, and guess what? You should be doing incredibly well too."

He received cheers from the crowd when he stated, "You deserve the significant raise you need and other benefits."

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described the trip as "historic," emphasising, "Today will mark the first time a sitting president has visited a picket line in modern times. This is an important message to America's auto workers."

The UAW's outspoken chief, Shawn Fain, welcomed Biden on the tarmac in Detroit and accompanied him to the picket line.

For Biden, who faces concerns about his poll ratings, his age, and the economy, this trip represents a golden opportunity to connect with working-class and union members.

"That is huge," exclaimed auto worker Patrick Smaller, 56, about Biden's visit as he stood on the picket line outside a massive Ford plant in Wayne County, Michigan on Tuesday. "He believes in what we stand for."

As cars and trucks honked in support, another worker, Tiara Conner, praised Biden's visit as "great." She expressed that she was "not surprised" by Trump's impending visit and added, "I just hope that he [Trump] is also here for the right reasons and standing in solidarity with us."