Controversy sparked on social media after U.S. President Joe Biden's fall after he tripped over a sandbag during Air Force Academy's commencement ceremony Thursday. Many wondered if the sandbag was deliberately kept on the stage.
Biden Says He Got 'Sandbagged'
Biden, who was the speaker during the 2023 U.S. Air Force Academy graduation in Colorado, handed out the diplomas. After shaking hands and saluting the grads, Biden tripped over a sandbag kept on the stage. The fall appeared to be quite hard. Secret Service team was seen rushing towards Biden and helped him get up. Biden was also seen pointing towards the black coloured sandbag which caused him to fall.
In a statement issued later, the White House said that did not receive any injuries following the fall. "He's fine. There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands," White House communications director Ben LaBolt tweeted after the incident.
Meanwhile, the president too joked about his fall. "I got sandbagged," Biden told the reporters after returning to Washington, D.C.
Social Media Spins Tales Around Biden's Fall
The incident led to a spate of conspiracy theories around Biden's fall. A lot of social media users questioned if the sandbag was deliberately kept on the stage.
"If you mean that his security is not doing its job, then I agree. If it's possible the sandbag was deliberately left in the way hoping Biden would trip over it and hurt himself then there should be an investigation. In any event they need to find out the circumstances.," wrote a user.
"Hell to the naw. And I think someone deliberately put that sandbag there so Biden can trip, fall and the video goes viral," wrote another.
"Biden tripped on a sandbag that I would guess was deliberately left there by some #MAGAMoron. Trump can't drink water or walk down a ramp," read another tweet.
"The fall happened because the Secret Service left a sandbag obstructing the path he would have to take. What's up with the Secret Service? Small errors on their part have become all too common," opined a user.
"He tripped on a sandbag left by the secret service. Was that intentional?" wrote a user.
