Trump Struggles on Air Force One Stairs Amid Health Concerns (Video)

President Donald Trump’s latest overseas trip ignited fresh alarms on Wednesday after he appeared shaky while descending the stairs of Air Force One in Davos, Switzerland. The moment, caught on camera, rapidly fueled concerns about his stamina, mental sharpness, and fitness for office.

Witnesses said Trump moved slowly, gripping the rail with both hands at times. He paused twice. His face looked tight, and his steps were measured. For many watching, it was the most fragile public moment yet for the 79-year-old commander-in-chief.

🚨Trump has stepped off Air Force One in Switzerland and safely arrived at the forum in Davos pic.twitter.com/kE5XctzyCi

— News.Az (@news_az) January 21, 2026

“It looked like he was trying not to fall,” one reporter on the tarmac told us. “I’ve covered Trump for years. I’ve never seen him this unsteady.”

The optics were worsened by a turbulent lead-up. Air Force One had been forced to return to Washington late Tuesday due to an electrical malfunction, delaying the trip by several hours. Trump had already logged a grueling 104-minute press briefing earlier that day, plus a late-night flight to Miami for the national championship football game.

“He seemed worn down before he even got here,” a U.S. official traveling with the delegation said. “Everyone noticed it.”

Trump exited the aircraft bundled in a long black coat. He kept his eyes down and leaned heavily on the railing as he made his cautious descent.

The moment instantly revived an older pattern of Trump publicly fixating on stairs. In past speeches, he has called certain ramps “dangerous,” complained about slick surfaces, and joked that he now moves “like a cautious old man” to avoid a fall.

If the arrival looked shaky, the speech that followed did little to calm critics.

Trump delivered a tense and sometimes wandering address at the World Economic Forum. Viewers complained that he mixed up Iceland and Greenland three separate times. At one point, he paused mid-sentence and stared at the teleprompter for several seconds before continuing.

“It was uncomfortable,” said a European diplomat in the room. “People were exchanging looks.”

Online reaction was blistering.

“I don’t see how anyone can watch that speech and think the country is in safe hands,” one user wrote. Another posted, “They were ready to invoke the 25th Amendment for Biden, but for Trump it seems beyond overdue.”

A third commenter put it bluntly: “The entire world just watched an old, low-energy, confused man ramble on a global stage.”

Trump’s fixation on Greenland resurfaced almost immediately after his arrival.

According to diplomatic sources, NATO allies had already braced for another round of remarks after Trump resurrected the idea of “strategically acquiring” the island earlier this month. Military officials confirmed that several nations quietly increased troop presence there as a precaution.

But the real shock came later that night.

In a late Truth Social post, the president shared private messages between himself and French President Emmanuel Macron, attempting to justify his Greenland obsession as “visionary geopolitics.” Hours later, a leaked letter from Trump to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere circulated among journalists. In it, Trump seemed to blame Norway for not awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize, writing, “Perhaps things would be smoother between our nations if the Nobel Committee showed fairness.”

The comment baffled diplomats, who quickly noted that the Nobel Committee does not answer to the Norwegian government.

“It’s disturbing,” a former U.S. national security adviser told us. “His grasp on basic facts seems to be slipping. These aren’t small mistakes.”

Back in the United States, the staircase stumble and Davos performance triggered new debate about Trump’s cognitive health. Lawmakers from both parties privately expressed concern, though few have gone on record.

“I don’t care what party you’re in,” one senior congressman said. “If the president is showing signs of decline, we have a responsibility to talk about it. Ignoring it won’t make it go away.”

Medical experts who watched the clip noted that the slow gait, heavy reliance on the railing, and visible hesitation could signal balance issues or fatigue — though none could diagnose him from afar.

Still, the optics were impossible to ignore.

“He did not look well,” said Dr. Amanda Lewis, a geriatric specialist at Georgetown University. “At his age, unsteadiness can mean many things. But taken with his recent verbal slip-ups, it raises legitimate concerns.”

As Trump continues his scheduled meetings in Switzerland, the White House has dismissed health speculation as “manufactured panic.” But privately, aides admit the footage was damaging.

“He’s tired,” one staffer said on background. “He’s been pushing himself hard. But yeah… this didn’t look good.”

With the world watching, Trump’s next public appearance will likely face intense scrutiny. Any further missteps — verbal or physical — could deepen calls for medical transparency, or even renewed debate over the 25th Amendment.

For now, the president remains defiant, insisting he is “stronger than ever.”

But the staircase moment in Davos may become one of the defining images of his year.