Trump Demands Investigation After Escalator, Teleprompter Malfunctions at UN

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump faced an unusual incident at the United Nations on Tuesday when an escalator suddenly stopped, forcing them to climb the halted machine on foot before Trump’s scheduled address.

The malfunction happened shortly before 10 a.m. at UN headquarters in New York, prompting White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to demand an investigation. She warned that if the stoppage was intentional, responsible staff should be held accountable.

Leavitt pointed to reports suggesting UN employees had joked about limiting Trump’s access to escalators and elevators. Later that evening on Fox News, she hinted that the mishap “appeared” suspicious, adding that the U.S. Secret Service was also reviewing the case.

UN officials quickly pushed back against claims of sabotage. Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric explained that the stoppage was triggered by a safety mechanism after a U.S. videographer filming Trump’s arrival stepped backward onto the escalator.

Dujarric emphasized that technicians immediately reset the machine and that a full check showed the system’s safety feature had worked as designed. He stressed there was “nothing nefarious” behind the breakdown.

Trump later joked about the stalled escalator during his UN speech, drawing laughter as he teased the institution and praised the first lady’s composure. He also improvised humorously when his teleprompter froze early in the address.

Despite the lighthearted tone, the episode unfolded against a backdrop of tense U.S.-UN relations. Trump once again criticized the organization, accusing it of failing to help resolve global conflicts while contrasting his administration’s foreign policy record.