Trump goes on confusing rant about Melania and details putting hand ‘on certain part of her body’ during Board of Peace speech

During a recent speech, President Donald Trump revisited a moment that once drew widespread attention: the day an escalator suddenly stopped beneath him and First Lady Melania Trump at United Nations headquarters. He spoke on February 19 at the first Board of Peace meeting in Washington.

As often happens in his remarks, Trump shifted between prepared notes and spontaneous comments. While acknowledging global leaders, he highlighted Paraguay’s president, Santiago Peña, calling him “young” and “handsome” before adding an unexpected personal aside that caught listeners’ attention.

He then turned to his experiences with the United Nations, describing them as mostly positive but occasionally marked by mishaps. He mentioned a past speech in New York where a teleprompter malfunctioned.

That memory led into the escalator incident from September, when footage showed the device stopping abruptly as he and Melania stepped on, sparking online speculation.

At the time, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt urged an investigation, raising questions about whether the stoppage was accidental.

In his latest retelling, however, Trump treated the episode humorously. He joked that he steadied himself by holding Melania, saying she was “in the proper location” to keep him from falling.

He also mentioned a documentary about the first lady titled Melania. The UN later indicated the escalator likely stopped due to a triggered safety feature, possibly caused by equipment nearby, according to BBC News.