- President Donald Trump fired off an indignant tweet on Saturday in response to videos that showed him wobbling and walking carefully down a ramp at West Point.
- Trump explained that the ramp was "very long & steep" and "had no handrail," and didn't want to fall in front of the news media.
- The incident had provoked mockery on social media and speculation about his health, though the White House recently released the results from his annual physical and said he was healthy.
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President Donald Trump tweeted indignantly on Saturday in reaction to videos that showed him unsteadily walking down a ramp after giving a speech to the graduating class at West Point earlier that day.
The tweet, sent just before 11 p.m. EST on Saturday night, explained that the ramp had been slippery and that Trump didn't want to fall while descending.
"The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery," he tweeted. "The last thing I was going to do is 'fall' for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum!"
The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery. The last thing I was going to do is “fall” for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 14, 2020
Videos posted online showed him walking slowly and carefully down the ramp.
Trump descended a ramp extremely carefully at the end of his West Point speech today pic.twitter.com/uMG3KyB1V1
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 13, 2020
Other videos had showed him struggling to lift a glass of water to his mouth.
Trump still hasn't totally figured out how to drink water pic.twitter.com/IO8CDXmD9i
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 13, 2020
The incidents provoked a strong reaction on social media, including mockery and speculation about his health. The hashtags #TRUMPstroke and #TrumpIsNotWell trended in the US on Saturday evening.
Earlier this month, the White House released the results of Trump's annual physical and said he "remains healthy."
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