Trump wants a probe into UN tech glitches.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump called for an “immediate investigation” into what he described as “triple sabotage” during his Tuesday visit to the United Nations, referencing a malfunctioning escalator and a teleprompter malfunction.
The United Nations was the site of several troubling events yesterday. An official communication is being sent to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres regarding these incidents.
The escalator ascending to the Main Speaking Floor experienced an abrupt and unexpected cessation of movement. The suddenness of the stop was such that both Melania and I narrowly avoided a forward fall onto the treads. Fortunately, we were able to maintain our balance by firmly grasping the handrails, averting what could have been a serious incident.
On September 23, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived at the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York City. They were observed riding an escalator upon their arrival.
He alleged that the disruption was deliberate, referencing a prior article in The London Times which mentioned UN workers “joked about turning off an escalator.” He stated that those responsible should be held accountable. He further noted a separate technical issue wherein his teleprompter malfunctioned for the first fifteen minutes of his speech, and also asserted that the audio in the General Assembly Hall had been intentionally disabled.
President Trump’saddress to the 80th UN General Assembly, New York City, Sept. 23, 2025.
Following the speech, it was reported that the audio system in the auditorium malfunctioned, preventing attendees, including world leaders without interpreter devices, from clearly hearing the address. Upon the speech’s conclusion, Melania Trump, who was seated in the front row, indicated that she was unable to hear the speech. These incidents suggest a coordinated effort to undermine the presentation at the UN, which is regrettable.
Upon commencing their ascent on the escalator preceding his address on Tuesday morning, President Trump and Mrs Melania Trump experienced an unexpected cessation of the mechanism, causing them to pause. Subsequently, the First Couple proceeded to ascend the stationary escalator. The United Nations has indicated that preliminary assessments suggest no evidence of malicious intent. However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has expressed dissatisfaction with this explanation and has pledged to thoroughly investigate Tuesday’s occurrence.
“If someone at the UN intentionally stopped the escalator as the President and First Lady were stepping on, they need to be fired and investigated immediately,” she said in an X post.
Leavitt repeated her warnings on Fox News Tuesday night but didn’t provide any evidence that what happened was deliberate.
“I know that we have people, including the United States Secret Service, who are looking into this to try to get to the bottom of it,” she said.
At the start of his address, when his teleprompter wasn’t working, he complained about it at the time and then again later in the day.
Addressing the recent speaking engagement at the United Nations, there were a couple of minor technical difficulties, including a malfunctioning teleprompter and a temporary escalator stoppage. However, these unforeseen incidents likely added an unexpected element to the presentation. It remains a privilege to address the United Nations, despite the occasional equipment challenges.
The United Nations stated that a safety feature likely stopped the escalator when a videographer stood backwards on it, filming the president.
The safety mechanism prevents accidental entanglement in the gearing. The U.N. statement said the videographer may have inadvertently triggered this safety function.
The technician reset the escalator after the delegation reached the second floor. A subsequent investigation revealed that the escalator stopped due to a safety mechanism triggered on the comb step at the top, likely by the videographer. This mechanism prevents objects from being caught in the gearing.
“All security tapes at the escalator should be saved, especially the emergency stop button. The Secret Service is involved,” Trump wrote in Wednesday’s post.
The U.N. has not immediately provided details about Trump’s teleprompter or the audio in the General Assembly Hall.
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