It’s becoming known as “Ramp-gate” - the silly story that was breathlessly reported by some of the major newspapers and cable news outlets in the land after President Donald Trump gingerly walked down a ramp following his speech at the U.S. Military Academy’s commencement on June 13.

When I first saw the headline the next day, I thought something had happened to the president. There was speculation that perhaps there was a medical problem given the tentativeness of those dozen or so steps.

With about 12 million others, I watched the video expecting to see a bumbling or stumbling 74-year-old doing a Gerald Ford imitation. After the 25-second video ended, I thought I must have missed something, so I watched it again - twice.

The New York Times said the walk raised new questions about his health. CNN said the walk added fuel to the lack of transparency about the president’s health records.

Frequent Trump critic Rachel Maddow posted on Facebook that Trump’s explanation of the now infamous walk “appeared to be untrue.”

I watched the video of his speech, his manner of walking on a flat surface toward the ramp and then the caution he showed as he arrived at the ramp.

He slowed down and carefully walked down the incline, which had no hand railing, until he was on level ground again when he walked quite normally.

There is no news story here, and the regrettable episode only gives rise to the criticism of some mainstream media that they are out to get Trump or make him look bad, regardless of the facts.

Trump is a few years younger than I, so I can readily identify with the caution he displayed in such a situation. Those our age are constantly being cautioned about avoiding falls because of how devastating they can be.

Whenever I encounter what can be dangerous situations that might result in a fall, an automatic prerecording goes off in my head, “Help, I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up.” Please, Lord, don’t let that be me.

On those occasions, I am extra careful. I can imagine someone looking at me walking down a similar inclined plane and saying, “Wow, that guy is shaky.” Despite my caution, I am still fit, and continue my 3- to 4-mile-a-day walking regimen along with other daily activities.

Trump’s explanation indicated the ramp was long and steep with no handrail and was very slippery.

Maddow’s reference to an “untruth” had to do with the belief that the ramp was not slippery because it was not wet, but how did she know whether it was slippery, wet or dry? She wasn’t there.

If Trump was wearing leather-soled shoes, it could have made the walk all the trickier. In a tweet, Trump said he didn’t want to slip, because to do so would have given some media a license to try to make a fool of him.

Who can forget the indelible image of President Ford, who slipped while descending the stairs from Air Force One while it was raining. The incident became a running joke on “Saturday Night Live” and the butt of comedians’ standup routines.

Voters have a right to know whether their president or those running for the office are in good health and are able to do the incredibly stressful job of running the country.

But these concerns should be legitimate and worthy of attention and discussion. “Ramp-gate” is a contrived bogus issue. There are plenty of things that Trump has done and said in his 3½ years as top gun that can be questioned, even criticized, but this walk down a ramp isn’t one of them.

I have been and always will be a champion of a vigorous and aggressive press that strives to get at the truth, but, in this case, some news organizations did a disservice to our profession in trying to make the president look bad.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com