Presumed US president-elect Joe Biden has baffled the Internet after revealing the story of how he recently broke his foot. The future commander-in-chief apparently tripped and fell while pulling his dog’s tail after a shower.
Biden’s campaign announced last week that he would need to wear a walking boot, explaining that he’d fractured his foot while playing with one of his dogs. In a Thursday CNN interview, the 78-year-old statesman revealed the peculiar details of the incident.
“What happened was I got out of the shower and … [a] little pup dropped a ball in front of me,” Biden said, adding that the dog apparently wanted Biden to “grab the ball.”
“And I grabbed the ball like this and he ran,” Biden continued. The former vice-president then said he jokingly ran after the dog and grabbed his tail, which caused it to slide on a throw rug.
“And I tripped on the rug he slid on. That’s what happened,” Biden concluded. “Oh man, not a very exciting story.”
On the contrary, the “bizarre” chain of events captured the imaginations of many online, as commenters shared their bewilderment over the surprising tale.
Many were confused as to why Biden would risk hurting the animal by pulling its tail, while Biden’s characteristically folksy way of relaying the story led a few to assume he was actually showering with his pet.
Many also got a laugh from Biden’s seemingly childish behavior. “As a non-dog owner, is it a usual occurrence to chase after your dog fresh from the shower in an attempt to grab its tail? Or is Joe Biden basically my four-year-old after a bath chasing a doggie?” conservative commenter Ben Shapiro sarcastically tweeted.
To some Twitter users the story was simply hilarious and they expressed their thoughts with gifs. “Honest mistake” joked one person, implying Biden confused his dog’s tail with a door handle.
The Bidens have two dogs, Major and Champ, both of whom look like large-but-cuddly beasts who could easily cause unintended injury. It’s unclear which is the culprit, but since Biden spoke of the “pup,” he was presumably talking about Major, a two-year-old rescue from the Delaware Humane Association.