President Donald Trump’s latest visit to the United Nations General Assembly in New York was anything but smooth. What should have been a routine high-profile appearance on September 23, 2025, quickly turned into a spectacle of technical mishaps—an escalator that ground to a halt, a teleprompter that flickered and failed, and a sound system that left parts of his speech drifting into silence. Trump, never one to mince words, has since branded the incidents as “triple sabotage,” demanding swift investigations and hinting at deliberate interference.
According to The Independent and multiple other outlets, the trouble began almost as soon as President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived at the United Nations headquarters. As the couple stepped onto the escalator leading to the Main Speaking Floor, the machine suddenly lurched to a stop. Security footage later showed the 79-year-old president and his wife momentarily stranded, forced to walk up the metal steps. Trump later described the moment with characteristic flair, writing on Truth Social, “It’s amazing that Melania and I didn’t fall forward onto the sharp edges of these steel steps, face first. It was only that we were each holding the handrail tightly or it would have been a disaster.”
But the misfortune didn’t end there. As Trump took the podium to address world leaders, he was met with a malfunctioning teleprompter, forcing him to ad-lib parts of his speech. To compound matters, the public address system suffered its own issues—described by Trump as “completely off”—making it difficult for the assembled delegates to hear his remarks. The president, visibly frustrated, alluded to these issues at the very start of his speech: “These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter.”
By the following day, Trump’s tone had shifted from bemused to incensed. He took to social media to vent his anger, declaring, “A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday — Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!” He went further, labeling the incidents as “absolutely sabotage,” and demanded that “the people that did it should be arrested!” Trump’s accusations were not limited to the UN staff. He claimed, referencing a report from the London Times, that UN staffers had joked about turning off escalators and elevators for his arrival.
The United States wasted no time in seeking answers. On September 24, 2025, the US Permanent Mission sent a formal letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, demanding a thorough investigation into the trio of technical failures. Trump insisted, “I demand an immediate investigation.” The president also revealed that the US Secret Service was conducting its own probe, suggesting that the mishaps might have put him and the First Lady in harm’s way.
The United Nations responded swiftly. Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for Secretary-General Guterres, issued a statement late Wednesday: “The Secretary-General informed the US Permanent Mission that he had already ordered a thorough investigation, and he conveyed that the UN is ready to cooperate in full transparency with relevant US authorities on this matter to determine what caused the incidents referred to by the United States.” Dujarric later clarified to reporters that a videographer from the US delegation had accidentally tripped a switch, causing the escalator to stop. “A built-in safety mechanism on the escalator was triggered,” a UN spokesperson explained, emphasizing that there was no evidence of foul play.
As for the teleprompter, the UN gently pointed out that its operation was actually under the purview of the White House. “The teleprompter was operated by the White House,” a UN official stated, suggesting that any issues with the device were likely not the responsibility of UN staff or contractors. This detail, while technical, is significant—teleprompters at such high-level events are typically managed by the visiting delegation to ensure security and reliability.
The audio problems, meanwhile, had their own explanation. The United Nations’ sound system is designed to allow delegates to listen to speeches translated into six official languages via earpieces. “The sound system was designed to allow people at their seats to hear speeches being translated into six different languages through earpieces,” a UN official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. This setup, while efficient for diplomats, can sometimes leave the general audience struggling to hear the original speech, especially if there are technical glitches or if the speaker strays from the podium.
Trump, however, remained unconvinced. In his Truth Social post, he wrote, “No wonder the United Nations hasn’t been able to do the job that they were put in existence to do,” lambasting the organization for what he sees as systemic dysfunction. He even referenced the technical problems as evidence of the UN’s broader failings, saying, “First, the escalator going up to the Main Speaking Floor came to a screeching halt… This was absolutely sabotage.”
Behind the scenes, the reality of technical arrangements at the UN is a complex ballet involving multiple players. The Facilities Management and Operations team oversees the physical infrastructure, including elevators and escalators. The Protocol and Conference Services department coordinates speeches, teleprompters, and sound systems, while external contractors often handle audiovisual equipment. Security teams from both the UN and visiting countries collaborate to ensure dignitaries’ safety. With so many moving parts, even minor missteps can snowball into headline-grabbing incidents.
It’s not the first time a high-profile guest has encountered technical trouble at the United Nations. Equipment failures, from flickering lights to microphone malfunctions, have occasionally disrupted proceedings over the years. Most are attributed to equipment fatigue, human error, or, as in this case, an inadvertent trigger by a member of the visiting delegation. Still, the convergence of three separate failures during one visit is rare—and, for Trump, deeply suspicious.
While investigations by both the United Nations and US authorities are ongoing, early indications suggest a series of unfortunate coincidences rather than orchestrated sabotage. The UN, for its part, has pledged full transparency and cooperation. “The Secretary-General informed the U.S. Permanent Mission that he had already ordered a thorough investigation,” Dujarric reiterated, “and he conveyed that the UN is ready to cooperate in full transparency with relevant U.S. authorities on this matter.”
For now, the diplomatic dust-up has overshadowed much of the policy substance of Trump’s visit. As the world watches to see what the investigations uncover, the episode serves as a reminder that even the most carefully choreographed events can be upended by a moment’s technical hiccup—or, depending on whom you ask, something much more sinister.
