Overview

• Video from UN headquarters shows the escalator stopping shortly after the president and first lady stepped on, leading them to walk up the stationary steps.
• UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric says a central processor readout indicates a comb‑step safety mechanism was triggered at the top, likely by a U.S. delegation videographer moving backward.
• The UN reports the escalator was reset and returned to operation soon after the stoppage.
• A UN official notes the U.S. team operated the teleprompter that failed at the start of the president’s address, which he referenced with jokes from the podium.
• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt calls for an investigation and potential firings, citing a Times of London report of staff jokes, as allies and commentators speculate about deliberate snubbing.