Overview

• Video showed the escalator at UN headquarters halt just after President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump stepped on, and his teleprompter failed at the start of his address before service was restored.
• UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the machine’s CPU indicated the comb-step safety mechanism was triggered at 9:50 a.m., likely by a U.S. delegation videographer walking backward to film the arrival, and the unit was quickly reset.
• UN officials emphasized that the president’s teleprompter is operated by the White House, separating responsibility for that glitch from the building’s systems.
• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called for an immediate investigation and potential firings if the stoppage was intentional, citing a Times of London report about staff joking in advance.
• Some outlets also reported the UN broadcast audio briefly switched to a foreign-language feed toward the end of the speech, and AP has noted prior UN cost-saving measures affecting escalators and elevators, though the UN says no foul play occurred in this case.