It’s not every day that a world leader’s journey to the podium becomes the story. But on September 23, 2025, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump found themselves at the center of a viral sensation—one that’s been dubbed “Escalatorgate.” As they made their entrance to the United Nations General Assembly, the escalator they boarded abruptly stalled, leaving the pair momentarily stranded and sparking a cascade of mockery, memes, and political jabs that have reverberated well beyond the marble halls of the U.N.
California Governor Gavin Newsom wasted no time seizing the moment. By the end of the week, Newsom had posted a video on social media that set the tone for a new round of political trolling. The clip, set to the infectious beat of Los del Río’s 1993 hit “Macarena,” spliced together footage of Trump’s escalator mishap with soundbites from a recent press conference. Among the highlights: Trump’s instantly viral quote, “Nothing bad can happen, it can only good happen,” a phrase that quickly made the rounds online for its grammatical gymnastics and head-scratching optimism. According to The Independent, Newsom’s caption read, “A golden week, for a golden era.”
The video didn’t stop there. Newsom included another moment from the president’s eventful week—Trump’s public struggle to pronounce “acetaminophen,” the generic name for Tylenol, as he announced an unproven link between the drug and autism. “Aceta — well, let's see how we say that,” Trump stammered, before working through the word syllable by syllable: “Acetam — enophin. Acetaminophen. Is that OK? Which is basically commonly known as Tylenol.” The governor’s video ended with a cheeky message: “Get well soon <3.”
While the internet laughed, the president was less amused. Trump quickly blamed his political enemies for the escalator incident, calling it sabotage and demanding an immediate investigation by the U.N. Secretary General. On Truth Social, Trump wrote, “A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday – Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!” He cited the escalator malfunction, audio issues with his speech, and a nonworking teleprompter as evidence of what he called “triple sabotage at the U.N.” He insisted, “This wasn’t a coincidence; this was triple sabotage at the U.N..”
But as BBC and TMZ reported, the real cause turned out to be much more mundane. Insiders revealed—and the U.N. confirmed—that the escalator’s emergency stop button had been accidentally triggered by a member of Trump’s own entourage. Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the U.N. Secretary-General, stated that it was believed a U.S. videographer had inadvertently brought the escalator to a halt. Despite these clarifications, the Trump administration continued to allege foul play, maintaining that the incident was part of a larger conspiracy to undermine the president’s appearance on the world stage.
Newsom, meanwhile, doubled down on his mockery. On September 23, he posted a parody message in the style of Trump’s characteristic all-caps social media blasts: “DOZY DON WAS DEFEATED BY THE ESCALATOR, POOR GUY! THE ENTIRE WORLD IS LAUGHING AT THE LOW IQ ‘PRESIDENT.’ NEXT STOP: THE BEST ROOM AT MEMORY MEADOWS RETIREMENT RESORT. TYLENOL INCLUDED. ENJOY YOUR STAY, DON! — GCN.” Newsom didn’t stop there, quipping, “I only walk up escalators because that’s what REAL MANLY MEN do.”
Later that week, while in New York City for Climate Week, Newsom kept the joke alive. He posted a video from Trump Tower, claiming to have encountered his own escalator woes. “A REAL DISGRACE. Escalator was broken at Trump Tower today. I’ve launched an investigation into this matter,” he wrote, poking fun at the president’s earlier demands for inquiries and security tapes.
The spectacle drew in late-night comedians as well. Jimmy Kimmel, host of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, joined the fray with an Instagram post featuring his sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez smiling on an escalator. The caption read, “Headed to Brooklyn! Escalator is working great!” According to TMZ, Kimmel’s jab was one of many from entertainers and social media users who turned the incident into a running punchline.
But not everyone was laughing at the president’s expense. Fox News hosts, for instance, sought to redirect the narrative by praising First Lady Melania Trump’s composure during the incident. On Fox Business, Maria Bartiromo remarked, “Look how great Melania was. She is unfazed. She walks on it. It stops. She turns around to the president, and she just leads the president up and walks.” For some of Trump’s supporters, Melania’s poise became the silver lining in an otherwise embarrassing moment.
To be fair, the president and first lady handled the sudden halt with minimal visible agitation. They stayed on their feet and continued on to the General Assembly, where Trump delivered a speech that was itself the subject of controversy. According to The Independent, Trump dismissed climate change as a “green scam,” claimed credit for ending seven wars, and accused the U.N. of “funding an assault on Western countries and their borders” through migration policies. The president’s remarks, and his subsequent accusations of sabotage, only added fuel to the already blazing social media fire.
In the aftermath, Trump insisted his speech “got fantastic reviews,” telling his followers, “very few people could have done what I did.” Still, the incident and its aftermath became a case study in how quickly a minor technical glitch can spiral into a global spectacle—especially in an era where every slip, stumble, or stutter is instantly captured, remixed, and shared by millions.
For Newsom, the episode was a fresh opportunity to needle his political rival and flex his social media savvy. For Trump, it was a reminder that even the best-laid plans can be upended by the smallest of accidents—or, depending on one’s perspective, by the relentless scrutiny of a digital age that turns every misstep into a meme. As the dust settles, one thing is clear: in the world of modern politics, even an escalator can become a stage.
