US President Donald Trump raised health fears after he was seen “struggling” to climb the stairs onto Air Force One during a live TV broadcast. The 80-year-old leader walked slowly up the steps, clutching the banister for support and pausing briefly at the midpoint. Upon reaching the top, he waved to the crowd while appearing to catch his breath before boarding the plane.
Viewers react to Trump's slow ascent
The segment prompted concern among viewers. One person wrote on X: “Trump just hopped on his $400million jet to Turkey immediately after the US lost the FIFA World Cup 4-1 to Belgium, and he doesn’t seem to be in a good mood. Also, why is he walking up the stairs so slowly?” Another viewer commented: “Trying to remember where he’s going?” A third suggested: “He’s probably still trying to find the replay button for that goal, and those stairs are the only thing that can’t be fast‑tracked.”
However, some defended the president. One viewer argued: “Shouldn't be focusing on this. He's 80 of course he's a little slow going up the stairs, but I really don't see anything wrong with that.”
Trump's 'revolting' World Cup move
The incident comes after Trump’s controversial intervention in the FIFA World Cup. He petitioned FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the red card shown to US striker Folarin Balogun, calling the dismissal “unfair.” In a speech, Trump fumed: “It’s one thing to penalise somebody for the game, but how do you penalise them for a game that hasn’t been played yet? It’s very unfair. You can’t do that.”
Before the match against Belgium on July 6, Trump warned: “The game tonight is going to be amazing. We're going to have a full team. Belgium is going to have a full team. If they beat us, then they can be really proud. The other way, if they beat us, I'll say it was rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020, but I won't get into that.”
