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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
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Jill Filipovic

Biden is America’s oldest president – but tripping over a sandbag tells us nothing

Joe Biden falls on stage during the 2023 US Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Joe Biden falls on stage during the 2023 US Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Photograph: Andrew Harnik/AP

It’s a story so benign and unremarkable that it’s embarrassing it’s getting any coverage at all: man trips, falls, stands back up and walks it off. Except, of course, that the man is Joe Biden, who at 80 and seeking re-election is currently competing to be the oldest president in US history.

On Thursday, Biden was at the US Air Force Academy graduation ceremony handing out the last diploma when he tripped over a black sandbag. He got back up with a hand from Secret Service agents, and walked himself back to his seat. By all accounts, he was fine.

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