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4h ago

White House Demands Probe After UN Glitches During Trump Visit

UN officials say an accidental safety stop by a U.S. videographer caused the escalator halt, not deliberate interference.

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 23: U.S. President Donald Trump, and First Lady Melania Trump arrive for the 80th session of the UN’s General Assembly (UNGA) on September 23, 2025 in New York City. This year’s theme for the annual global meeting is:“Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.” Gaza and Ukraine are just two of the global emergencies that world leaders will look to address. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk up an escalator as they arrive to the 80th session of the UN’s General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations headquarters, in New York City, on Sept. 23, 2025.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 23: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the 80th session of the UN’s General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations headquarters on September 23, 2025 in New York City. World leaders convened for the 80th Session of UNGA, with this year’s theme for the annual global meeting being “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.” (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Overview

  • An escalator at UN headquarters stopped as President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump stepped on, and his teleprompter initially failed during his General Assembly address.
  • Press secretary Karoline Leavitt called for an investigation and said any staffer who intentionally caused the stoppage should be fired.
  • UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said a diagnostic readout showed a built‑in safety mechanism was triggered by someone ahead of the president, likely a U.S. delegation videographer, and the escalator was reset and is operating.
  • UN officials said they do not operate the U.S. president’s teleprompter, which is run by the White House and malfunctioned at the start of the speech.
  • Speculation was stoked by a Times report of UN staff joking about pranks and by recent budget‑related escalator cutbacks, but no public evidence indicates sabotage.