There was this incredibly awkward picture.
Will Theresa May ever live down holding hands with Trump? The so-called #specialrelationship. pic.twitter.com/xe0Eqy4O1e
— Gerry Hassan (@GerryHassan) January 27, 2017
Trump and Britian’s Prime Minister Theresa May were caught clasping each other’s hands while walking at the White House. No one could figure out why.
Asked about it a half day later, Britain’s official stance was Trump was being “chivalrous.” People were skeptical. Chivalrous? That excuse doesn’t fit with what we know about Trump, who won’t even treat his own wife with a sense of respect.
I genuinely can't stop thinking about this pic.twitter.com/NW7uOu96tO
— Marc (@MarcSnetiker) January 23, 2017
However, it was within hours that word of the more likely reason got out… In a stunning little nugget in buried in a broader story about May’s visit to Washington, The Times of London had this to say about the hand holding:
Downing Street officials claimed the president’s phobia of stairs and slopes led him to grab the prime minister’s hand as they walked down a ramp at the White House.
Donald Trump. Has. A. Phobia. Of. Stairs. And. Slopes.
What?
Indeed, it didn’t take long for people to go back through the various clips of Trump descending stairs for a pattern to emerge. He does seem quite nervous while walking down anything on an incline.
He is EXTREMELY careful with those stairs pic.twitter.com/74gBWBrQUk
— Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) January 29, 2017
Before we mock Trump too much, it should be noted that Trump isn’t the only one who has trouble going down steps. Cows and horses reportedly have a very difficult time with it because of their body shape and depth perception.
It is a widely held belief that cows and horses cannot walk down stairs. These animals can’t easily see the ground right at their feet and the design of their hips and knees makes it hard to shift their weight backwards to stop them tumbling headlong down the steps.
It also explains why Trump chose to kick of his campaign by opting for an escalator instead of a staircase.
It’s only fitting that a man who projects so much faux toughness is afraid of steps.
Featured image via Twitter
