Trump Calls UN Escalator Stop 'Sabotage': Demands Arrests
President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks. Public domain.
President Donald Trump's recent visit to the United Nations turned into a spectacle of suspicion and accusation after an escalator abruptly stopped beneath him and First Lady Melania Trump during their entrance. The president called the incident "sabotage" and demanded that those responsible be arrested. UN officials, however, reportedly offered a very different explanation, pointing to a safety mechanism triggered accidentally by a videographer. This clash between dramatic accusation and institutional rebuttal has sparked a tense debate over what really happened at the world body's headquarters.
A Trip to the United Nations
President Trump was in New York City to attend the 80th United Nations General Assembly, a key event where world leaders gather to discuss global issues. His speech at the assembly focused on his administration's achievements and his vision for international peace and security. However, the drama began before he even reached the podium.
As Trump and Melania Trump arrived at the UN, they stepped onto an escalator that suddenly stopped. The unexpected halt nearly caused them to fall, with Trump later describing the step as "sharp" and warning that without their firm grip on the handrails, it could have been a disaster, as reported by The U.S. Sun. The incident was captured on video, showing the first lady clutching the railing tightly to keep her balance as the escalator lurched to a stop.
Triple Sabotage and Calls for Arrests
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to blast the United Nations, calling the escalator malfunction just one of three "very sinister events" that marred his visit, as reported by Reuters. According to The U.S. Sun, he described the escalator stoppage as "absolutely sabotage" and demanded that the people responsible be arrested. The president also reported that his teleprompter went dark at the start of his speech, forcing him to speak without it for about 15 minutes. To add to the chaos, he was later informed that the sound system in the auditorium had failed, meaning many world leaders could not hear his address unless they used interpreter earpieces.
Trump's post was direct and forceful. He said the escalator stopped "on a dime" and that he and Melania Trump could have fallen "face first" on the steel steps, as reported by The U.S. Sun. He called for an immediate investigation and insisted that all security camera footage, especially from the escalator's emergency stop button, be preserved. The Secret Service was reportedly involved in looking into the matter.
According to The Guardian, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the president's outrage, warning on Fox News that if UN staffers were found to have intentionally stopped the escalator, they better be held accountable. She also posted on X that anyone responsible should be fired and investigated immediately.
The United Nations' Explanation: Safety Mechanism Triggered
The United Nations offered a different account. Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, explained that the escalator stopped because a built-in safety mechanism was triggered at the top of the escalator, according to The Guardian. This mechanism was reportedly designed to halt the escalator if something unusual is detected on the comb step, a safety feature to prevent accidents.
Dujarric said a videographer filming the U.S. delegation's arrival was traveling backward up the escalator and "may have inadvertently triggered the safety function," as reported by The Guardian. The escalator was reset and resumed normal operation shortly after the incident.
Regarding the teleprompter failure, UN officials clarified that the teleprompter used by President Trump was operated by the White House, not the United Nations, as reported by Reuters. As for the sound system, the UN noted that the auditorium's audio setup is designed to allow delegates to hear speeches through interpreter earpieces in six different languages, suggesting that the issue may not have been as widespread as Trump claimed.
The Spectacle of Accusation
This incident adds to a pattern of tension between President Trump and the United Nations. His public call for accountability and arrests over what UN officials say was an accidental safety stop has drawn attention worldwide. The spectacle of a sitting U.S. president accusing the UN of sabotage during a high-profile visit is rare and underscores the fraught relationship between the U.S. and the global body.
The White House's vow to investigate the escalator malfunction and the teleprompter failure signals that the administration is taking the president's claims seriously, at least publicly. Whether any evidence of intentional wrongdoing emerges remains to be seen.
What Comes Next?
The Secret Service's involvement in investigating the escalator incident suggests that the matter is not closed. Meanwhile, the UN's insistence on the safety mechanism explanation and its distancing from the teleprompter and sound issues highlight the complexity of the situation.
For now, the world watches as the investigation unfolds, caught between the president's fiery accusations and the UN's calm technical rebuttals.
Whether this escalator glitch was a simple accident or something more sinister, it has made a mark on President Trump's United Nations visit and added a new chapter to the ongoing drama between the U.S. and the UN.
References: Trump says Secret Service probing 'sabotage' of escalator at UN | Trump angered by 'bad escalator' at UN as White House vows to investigate malfunction | Trump blasts UN for 'triple sabotage' & 'sinister events' after he was awkwardly forced to walk up broken escalator
