US President Donald Trump accused United Nations staff of sabotaging him after an escalator stopped abruptly at UN headquarters in New York just as he and First Lady Melania Trump stepped on it. The incident came shortly before his General Assembly speech, during which a teleprompter also malfunctioned. Trump claimed the glitches were deliberate, telling the audience, 'All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that, on the way up, stopped right in the middle ... then a teleprompter that didn't work'. He added that whoever controlled the teleprompter was 'in big trouble'.
The UN quickly pushed back, stating that the escalator stopped because of a built-in safety mechanism likely triggered by one of Trump's own videographers walking backward on the steps. Officials also clarified that the faulty teleprompter was managed by Trump's team, not the UN. A spokesperson said: 'This was not sabotage. It was a standard safety response. The teleprompter belonged to Mr. Trump's staff'.
DOZY DON WAS DEFEATED BY THE ESCALATOR, POOR GUY! THE ENTIRE WORLD IS LAUGHING AT THE LOW IQ “PRESIDENT.” NEXT STOP: THE BEST ROOM AT MEMORY MEADOWS RETIREMENT RESORT. TYLENOL INCLUDED. ENJOY YOUR STAY, DON! — GCN
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 24, 2025
UN tells @AFP the Trump escalator flub was due to mistakenly triggered safety mechanism, after White House calls for probe -- and says teleprompter was WH's fault pic.twitter.com/ePMwzzEFPp
— Danny Kemp (@dannyctkemp) September 23, 2025
Donald Trump and Melania get on an escalator at the UN and it immediately stops working 🤣 pic.twitter.com/KlKz7ftT3I
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) September 23, 2025
🤣🤣🤣 White House Wants Investigation into Trump Escalator Malf... - Newsweek https://t.co/ZHquYvgN0J
— Anne Stockton (@AnneStockton01) September 24, 2025
This is insane…
— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) September 23, 2025
As Trump arrived to the UN, the escalator stopped working the moment he stepped on it.
Then the teleprompter stopped working the moment he got up to the podium to speak. pic.twitter.com/XBTgfr6zJ8
Trump complaining about the escalator and teleprompter 🤣 pic.twitter.com/WiSdHDM1D5
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) September 23, 2025
A U.N. official said the UN understands that someone from the president’s party who ran ahead of him inadvertently triggered the stop mechanism on the escalator. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House was operating the teleprompter for Trump. https://t.co/DZwqyWtYVn
— Farnoush Amiri (@FarnoushAmiri) September 23, 2025
So Trump went to the UN and the second he stepped on the escalator it stopped working - and the second he started speaking the teleprompter broke?
— Danny Wallace (@dannywallace) September 23, 2025
It doesn't *scream* God's Chosen One, does it?
Trump trying to get into Heaven when the Rapture starts pic.twitter.com/hMXxRtAg6J
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) September 23, 2025
The escalator and teleprompter technician at the UN. pic.twitter.com/fg1eFmJkes
— Colin the Dachshund (@DachshundColin) September 23, 2025
The claims have since drawn sharp reactions online and from political commentators. Critics argued Trump's comments risk undermining serious diplomatic forums with personal grievances, while others pointed out the optics of blaming the UN for technical mishaps handled by his own crew. The episode has fueled renewed debate over Trump's confrontational approach on the international stage.
