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Don't Forget Media Speculated About Trump's Health Following Ramp Slow Walk, While Biden Mocked Him

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President Joe Biden’s multiple stumbles walking up the steps to Air Force One on Friday drew comparisons to the coverage former President Donald Trump received when he walked slowly down a ramp at West Point’s graduation last summer.

NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck shared a video of Biden himself making fun of Trump at the time.

“Look at how he steps and look at how I step. Watch how I run up ramps and he stumbles down ramps. Come on,” Biden said.

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Let’s look at how Biden runs up steps.

Three trips in a row. Wow.

Here is Trump walking down the ramp at West Point on June 13. The former president explained afterward that he struggled with it because the ramp was metal and his shoes were leather.



The 45th president tweeted later that day, “The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery.”

“The last thing I was going to do is ‘fall’ for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum!”

Radio talk show host Jason Rantz shared some of the establishment media headlines from that day from outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Hill and CNN — with some speculating what Trump’s slow walk down the ramp meant in terms of his health.

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The Times‘ piece by Maggie Haberman noted in its sub-headline that Trump at 74 was “the oldest a president has been in his first term.”

By the way, Biden — the then-presumptive Democratic nominee — was 77 at the time and is now 78 years old.

CNN headlined, “Why the Donald Trump-West Point ramp story actually matters,” highlighting that the former president was in his mid-70s and also that his medical past was a “total mystery.”

Following all the media coverage and speculation about his health that the ramp walk generated, Trump offered a detailed response at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, five days later.

He recounted that when he reached the top of the ramp to get off the stage, Trump turned to West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams saying he had a problem.

“I’m wearing leather-bottom shoes,” Trump said he told Williams. “There is no way I can make it down that ramp without falling on my a**, general.”

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“So I said, ‘General, get ready ’cause I may grab you so fast, because I can’t fall with the fake news watching,'” Trump continued.

He told the Tulsa crowd, “I would have been better off if I fell and slid down the d*** ramp,” given the media coverage he received.



Trump further recalled he was surprised the West Point speech was trending on social media afterward, but learned on a phone call with first lady Melania Trump that it was because people were speculating whether he had Parkinson’s disease.

“I’ll let you know if there’s something wrong,” Trump reassured those at the rally.

“I tell you what — there’s something wrong with Biden, that I can tell you.”

The difference in media coverage between Biden’s trips walking up to Air Force One and Trump’s West Point slow ramp walk was perfectly typified by The Times‘ headline Friday: “Biden is ‘doing 100 percent fine’ after tripping while boarding Air Force One.”

Did you know that The Western Journal now publishes some content in Spanish as well as English, for international audiences? Click here to read this article on The Western Journal en Español!

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Randy DeSoto has written more than 2,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




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