US President Donald Trump trips while boarding Air Force One prior to departure from Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, on June 8, 2025, en route to Camp David. (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/ AFP)
Doha, Qatar: US President Donald Trump stumbled while boarding Air Force One at Morristown Airport, New Jersey, shortly after addressing reporters on invoking the US Insurrection Act, in response to ongoing protests in Los Angeles, sparked by recent immigration raids.
Moments later, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also lost his footing on the same staircase as he followed the President.
The video of the incident went viral on social media, prompting varied reactions from users. Comments ranged from questioning the President's fitness to comparison with similar moments involving former president Joe Biden.
These Air Force One ✈️ stairs are apparently faulty ????????♀️
— MAGA Kitty (@SaveUSAKitty) June 8, 2025
President Trump was the first to fall victim, immediately followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
WATCH ???????? pic.twitter.com/muq4ckb1wg
One user suggested that "it was time to get Old Man Trump fitted for a wheel chair".
Others commented on what they perceived as lack of media coverage for the incident. "Had this been Biden, there would be Breaking News all over tv media networks rn," said one user as another wrote, "The media won't say a thing about his mental acuity."
Time to get Old Man Trump fitted for a wheelchair. https://t.co/dY3U4RKlsY
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) June 8, 2025
Regarding those protesting raids by immigration agents in California, US President said, " You have violent people, and we are not going to let them get away with it.”
“I think you're going to see some very strong law and order,” Trump added.
Minutes earlier, troops had fired tear gas and pushed back a handful of protesters outside a detention center in Los Angeles.
The deployment of hundreds of National Guard soldiers was made over the objections of California Governor Gavin Newsom, who said the move was designed to "manufacture a crisis."
Responding to a question on whether he would involke the US Insurrection Act, also allows the president broad powers to deploy the military domestically and use it for law enforcement, Trump said: “We're looking at troops everywhere. We're not going to let this happen to our country.”
Asked what the bar would be for sending in US Marines rather than National Guardsmen, Trump said he would be the one to decide that. “The bar is what I think it is,” he said.
