While serious topics were on the agenda during Donald Trump’s recent address to the United Nations General Assembly, something entirely different grabbed the spotlight. As Trump and his wife Melania were making their way up an escalator at UN headquarters, it abruptly came to a halt — just as they stepped on. What some dismissed as a minor glitch, Trump is now labeling a “disgrace,” calling for a full investigation.
During his appearance at the UN in New York City, Trump’s teleprompter failed mid-speech. But that wasn’t the only technical difficulty of the day. As the former president and Melania ascended the escalator, it suddenly stopped, causing them both to look back in confusion.
Initial reports suggest the White House suspected foul play, alleging the incident may have been a deliberate attempt to embarrass Trump. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that if the malfunction was intentional, there would be consequences.
Meanwhile, the United Nations claimed the escalator’s safety system had been unintentionally triggered, leading to the stoppage.
Trump Labels UN Mishaps as “Triple Sabotage”
Trump later took to Truth Social, where he didn’t hold back. In a post made Wednesday, he referred to the escalator failure, teleprompter glitch, and sound issues as a coordinated effort to disrupt his appearance.
“A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday — Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!” Trump wrote. “This wasn’t a coincidence, this was triple sabotage at the UN. They ought to be ashamed of themselves… No wonder the United Nations hasn’t been able to do the job that they were put in existence to do.”
Some are now jokingly calling the incident “Escalatorgate.” Footage from the scene shows Trump and Melania walking the rest of the way up the escalator, holding the handrail as they climb.
Despite the glitches, Trump appeared to brush them off with humor during his speech: “All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up stopped right in the middle,” he said. “And then a teleprompter that didn’t work.”
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