White House says Biden is fine after tripping on stage at Air Force Academy commencement

President Joe Biden tripped on a sandbag and fell as he completed handing out diplomas at the US Air Force Academy commencement in Colorado on Thursday.

Biden appeared fine afterward, walking without assistance to his seat in the stands. He was seen smiling and jogging toward his vehicle at the ceremony's conclusion.

The White House said the president was fine after the fall.

The stumble began as Biden was jogging away from center stage, where earlier he'd delivered a commencement address to the academy's graduates. He spent more than 90 minutes handing out diplomas and congratulating hundreds of cadets.

As he was moving toward his seat, he tripped, falling to the ground. The president landed on his right hip before lifting himself up on his right hand.

A group of men, including an official with the Air Force Academy and two Secret Service agents, grasped onto Biden's arms to help him back to his feet.

As he got back up, Biden pointed back toward the ground where he tripped, indicating something had gotten in his path. Video of the moment showed sandbags placed in front of the podium near where Biden had been standing. Earlier, the sandbags had been used to weigh down two teleprompters.