Biden's Air Force One Stumble Receives Little Attention Compared To Trump's "Ramp-Gate"

When President Donald Trump walked slowly down a ramp at West Point in June 2020, CNN told its viewers that "President Trump is facing some new questions about his health after an unsteady walk down a ramp," the New York Times proclaimed "Trump’s Halting Walk Down Ramp Raises New Health Questions" and the Washington Post offered headlines like "Trump tries to explain his slow and unsteady walk down a ramp at West Point" and "‘Like a baby deer on a frozen pond’: Late-night hosts mock Trump over ‘Ramp-gate’." Fox News mentioned it twice in the following days, while CNN and MSNBC both mentioned it six times.

In contrast, when Biden stumbled several times on the Air Force One stairs on Friday, American media largely ignored the event, even as the foreign press covered it. The New York Times dismissed it as "Biden is ‘doing 100 percent fine’ after tripping while boarding Air Force One," The Hill offered that "Biden '100 percent' fine after stumble on Air Force One steps, aide says" and the Washington Post stated only that "Biden stumbles climbing stairs to Air Force One." On television news, neither CNN nor MSNBC mentioned the incident, while Fox mentioned it 16 times.