Trump, 80, Grips Umbrella in Wobbly Air Force One Descent
President Donald Trump has again struggled with his regular nemesis: the stairs of Air Force One.
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Trump, 80, arrived at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport on Tuesday to attend the 2026 Patriot Games.
However, persistent wind and rain on arrival made the exit from his Qatari-gifted Air Force One especially difficult for the senior president.
Trump, who has previously admitted being cautious when he deplanes, was handed an umbrella at the top of the staircase by an aide.
As he fist-pumped the MAGA crowd who waited in the turbulent weather to cheer him on, Trump desperately gripped the umbrella as it was lashed by the wind. His other hand grasped the railing as he clunked his way down the stairs with his usual gait.
Trump greeted ESPN’s sports analyst Pat McAfee upon arrival as the crowd chanted “USA!” White House Press Pool reported that McAfee, who was wearing a t-shirt in the inclement weather, “got pelted by rain as he waited” for the president.
Journalist Aaron Rupar posted a video of Trump’s awkward arrival that was captured by local network WKYC. “Trump still can’t open an umbrella, struggles to get down stairs of Bribe Force One,” Rupar wrote.
The White House’s Rapid Response X account posted a short clip of his arrival, with the caption, “POTUS steps off Air Force One in Cleveland with a signature fist bump to the crowd.” Their video was edited to not include his shaky exit down the staircase.
The Rapid Response account did find time to share a 48-second video of Air Force One arriving in Cleveland, adding “hardworking Ohio Patriots are braving the rain to greet him on the tarmac.”
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Trump then had another battle with the umbrella as he transferred to Marine One with McFee.
The president covered himself with the large umbrella, leaving McFee exposed to the rain, as they walked across the tarmac to the helicopter.
McFee, 39, bounded up the Marine One stairs ahead of the president. Trump followed and initially seemed to be trying to enter with the umbrella still open, with the device briefly becoming stuck in the doorway.
After a short pause, Trump closed the umbrella and entered the chopper.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Trump has previously discussed his timid gait when entering or exiting Air Force One several times, blaming his usual target, the media.
“I’m very careful when I walk, by the way, because if I ever fall… the fake news … they’re going to have… that headline will go on for years,” Trump said during a rambling speech at the Rose Garden in May during Police week.
He added, “You know, sometimes like I walk out of the plane… I’m not looking to set any records. You go nice and easy.”
He also explained his senior pace on The Dan Bongino Show in February, saying he was “very careful” on Air Force One.
“Ever noticed how slowly I am these days? Nice and slowly, I’m not looking to set any records. You don’t wanna go down. Could happen, could happen.”
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