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The president's appearance at the graduation ceremony was punctuated by a stumble onstage after handing out diplomas to graduates.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden took a fall during the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation ceremony, where he earlier delivered a commencement address.
Moments after handing out the last diploma to the Air Force cadets, Biden appeared to have slipped on a black sandbag on the stage and fell onto his knees. The 80-year-old president was quickly aided by Air Force officials and members of the Secret Service.
Onlookers, including some members of the official delegation on stage, looked over in concern before Biden returned to his seat. As he got back on his feet, Biden pointed to the place on stage where he lost his balance.
Biden did not appear injured and continued to stand until the ceremony concluded a couple minutes later.
“He’s fine,” tweeted Ben LaBolt, the White House communications director. “There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands.”
He's fine. There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands. https://t.co/jP4sJiirHh
— Ben LaBolt (@WHCommsDir) June 1, 2023The academy graduates will become second lieutenants in either the Air Force or Space Force. Biden said they made up the most diverse graduating class in the academy's history and he called on them to “root out the scourge of sexual assault and harassment in the military.”
Biden also said they will need the qualities of resilience, creativity, endurance and commitment that they learned during four years of training at the academy — learning that was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic — to deal with a range of global challenges.
The ceremony was capped by an aerial salute to the graduates by the world-renowned U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, flying over Falcon Stadium.
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