Trump’s Dramatic U.N. Escalator Entrance Ignites Fierce Investigations: NPR

During his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, President Trump accused the organization of executing a “triple sabotage,” urging a formal investigation into a sequence of technical malfunctions involving an escalator, teleprompter, and sound system. The U.N. has partially attributed some of these problems to the White House team.

Expressing his displeasure on Truth Social, Trump wrote on Wednesday, “Yesterday at the United Nations, not one, not two, but three trump-requests-investigation-escalator-teleprompter-sabotage-un/” title=”… Calls for Probe into Alleged … and … ……… at UN Summit”>suspicious incidents took place! This was no coincidence-it was intentional sabotage. The U.N. should be embarrassed. No wonder they fail to achieve their founding goals.”

His troubles began immediately upon arrival at the U.N. headquarters in New York on Tuesday, as he and the first lady stepped onto the escalator.

The escalator abruptly stopped shortly after they began descending, compelling the couple to proceed on foot while holding the handrails for balance. This incident, quickly nicknamed “Escalatorgate,” was widely shared on social media.

When Trump later took the podium, he encountered a malfunctioning teleprompter. Undeterred, he quipped, “Whoever is managing this teleprompter is in serious trouble,” drawing laughter from the crowd.

Reflecting humorously on the day’s setbacks, he remarked, “The only thing I got from the U.N. was an escalator that froze halfway down, and if Melania weren’t so athletic, she might have fallen. Then the teleprompter went out.”

After the teleprompter was repaired, Trump delivered a lengthy address, dismissing climate change as a fabrication, criticizing immigration policies in Europe, and accusing the U.N. of backing initiatives that threaten Western borders.

Despite his frequent criticisms of the U.N., including withdrawing the U.S. from UNESCO and the Human Rights Council during his presidency, Trump reassured during a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres that the United States remains “fully committed to the United Nations.”

Following the event, Trump claimed on Truth Social that his speech was “very well received” and suggested that the technical difficulties “probably made it more captivating than it would have been otherwise.”

However, by the following day, his tone shifted sharply as he described the escalator stoppage as “clear sabotage” and demanded accountability for those responsible.

“It’s shocking that Melania and I didn’t fall headfirst onto the metal steps,” Trump wrote. “We were only saved because we held onto the handrails tightly.”

He disclosed that the Secret Service is investigating the incidents and called on the U.N. to launch its own probe. Later on Wednesday, Guterres’ spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that the secretary-general had ordered a thorough investigation.

“The U.N. is dedicated to full transparency and will collaborate with U.S. authorities to uncover the cause of these events,” Dujarric stated.

Despite early teleprompter glitches, President Trump addressed world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly.
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U.N. Attributes Escalator Stoppage to Safety Trigger Activated by U.S. Videographer

On Tuesday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt hinted on Twitter that U.N. staff might have intentionally halted the escalator as the Trumps boarded.

She shared a screenshot from a recent article in the British newspaper The Times, which cited U.N. employees joking about turning off escalators and elevators to compel Trump to use the stairs due to budget cuts.

The U.N. is currently facing financial challenges, largely because the U.S. withheld payments to the U.N. budget and specific programs during the Trump administration.

According to the Associated Press, escalators and elevators at U.N. offices in New York and Geneva have been intermittently shut down as part of cost-saving measures.

In an unusual clarification, Dujarric told reporters that the escalator likely stopped because a safety feature was unintentionally triggered by a U.S. videographer filming the Trumps’ arrival.

The videographer, positioned several steps ahead and filming backward, apparently activated a built-in safety sensor located at the escalator’s top comb step, causing it to halt.

“An investigation, including an analysis of the escalator’s control system, confirmed the stoppage was caused by the safety mechanism being engaged,” Dujarric explained.

The U.N. noted that the U.S. delegation controls the president’s teleprompter and referred questions about its malfunction to the White House. NPR has sought comment.

Mike Waltz, the newly confirmed U.S. ambassador to the U.N., tweeted that the U.S. has requested a full report from the U.N. regarding the teleprompter failure and is working to prevent similar issues in the future.

He also demanded complete transparency about the U.N.’s internal investigation into the escalator incident, including whether it was intentional.

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump ascend the escalator after it unexpectedly stopped on their way to the General Assembly Hall.
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Trump Administration Insists Malfunctions Were Intentional

Officials from the Trump camp have continued to portray the series of technical failures as a coordinated attempt to sabotage the president.

On a Fox News broadcast Tuesday evening, Leavitt claimed the problems extended beyond the escalator and teleprompter, mentioning that a conservative journalist noticed the audio volume during Trump’s speech was significantly lower than that of the preceding speaker.

“Considering all these elements together, it doesn’t appear accidental,” Leavitt stated. “The U.S. Secret Service and other agencies are actively investigating to uncover the facts.”

Fox News host Jesse Watters echoed these suspicions, controversially suggesting on air that the U.S. should either exit the U.N. or consider military action against it-a comment he later retracted after criticism from colleagues. Such remarks have heightened concerns among U.N. staff, especially after the Secret Service recently found devices capable of jamming cell phones near the General Assembly venue.

NPR has requested comment from the Secret Service regarding their investigation into Tuesday’s incidents but has not yet received a response.

In his Wednesday post, Trump added that after his speech, he was told many world leaders struggled to hear him clearly unless they used interpreter earpieces.

“The first person I saw after the speech was Melania, sitting right up front,” Trump wrote. “I asked, ‘How did I do?’ She replied, ‘I couldn’t hear a word you said.'”

The U.N. explained that the sound system is designed to transmit speeches through earpieces in six different languages, which may have contributed to the perception of low volume in the hall.

Ambassador Waltz condemned the incidents as “unacceptable and symptomatic of a dysfunctional institution that compromises safety and security.”

“The United States will not tolerate any threats to our dignity or security at international forums,” Waltz declared on Twitter. “We demand swift cooperation and decisive action.”

Reporting contributed by Michele Kelemen.