Trump Blasts UN “Disgrace” After Escalator and Technical Glitches

The President of the United States made headlines after calling a series of incidents at the United Nations “a real disgrace.” Donald Trump demanded answers following multiple mishaps during his high-profile visit to the UN headquarters in New York City on September 23, 2025.

Escalator Stops Suddenly

Trump’s troubles began before he even reached the podium. As he and First Lady Melania Trump rode the escalator to the main speaking floor, the machinery suddenly halted. The jolt nearly threw them forward.

“It was only that we were holding the handrails tightly, or it would have been a disaster,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He suggested the stoppage was intentional and pointed to a prior report in The London Times noting UN staff had joked about turning off escalators.

White House Press Secretary Katherine Leavitt shared the article, stating, “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.”

Triple Technical Failures

Trump claimed the escalator was just the first of three issues. The second problem occurred when his teleprompter went dark, forcing him to deliver the first 15 minutes of his speech without guidance.

He later noted a third issue: a sound outage inside the hall. World leaders could only hear him through interpreter earpieces. Afterward, Melania admitted she hadn’t heard a word.

“This wasn’t a coincidence — this was triple sabotage at the UN. I’m sending a copy of this letter to the Secretary-General and demand an immediate investigation,” Trump declared.

First Lady Takes the Lead

Photos from the event showed Melania Trump walking up the stationary escalator with calm determination. Donald followed behind her, adjusting his stance as they climbed the motionless steps. Reporters shouted questions, but the President offered no immediate comment, focusing on moving forward.

UN Explains the Escalator Halt

Hours later, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric clarified that the escalator stop triggered a built-in safety mechanism. A videographer from the U.S. delegation had stepped on the escalator backward, accidentally activating the safeguard.

UN technicians reset the escalator promptly, and a follow-up review of the system confirmed no mechanical failure had occurred.

Day Continues Amid Technical Glitches

Despite the escalator incident, the 80th session of the UN General Assembly proceeded as scheduled. Trump delivered his speech, met with multiple technical interruptions, including the teleprompter failure, but pivoted to a printed copy of his remarks and maintained composure.

He later joked about the teleprompter mishap, turning it into a moment of levity: “I can only say that whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.”

Diplomatic Agenda Remains

After his address, Trump continued with planned meetings, including discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Argentine President Javier Milei. Multilateral talks with Arab and Muslim leaders were also scheduled amid ongoing international tensions.