New York: A Trump administration official was physically assaulted inside the United Nations headquarters on Thursday afternoon during the UN General Assembly (UNGA), according to Fox News Digital. The official, working in international relations for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was supporting HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the department’s leadership team at the event.

Assault inside UN premises

White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said the official was “followed into a bathroom, recorded, physically assaulted and verbally accosted by a deranged leftist at the UN who somehow entered the venue past multiple layers of security.” She added that the official is now safe and the assailant was arrested.

The incident reportedly involved the assailant yelling derogatory and pro-Palestinian remarks while shining a bright light at the official, which she later realised was also a recording device. The attacker followed the official into a women’s bathroom, attempting to enter a stall and continuing to record and yell insults. After about 10 minutes, the official managed to escape into the hallway.

A US UN spokesperson described the attack as “unacceptable” and said the incident must be “addressed swiftly, and consequences must be felt.”

Investigation and charges

The individual responsible has been charged with assault, aggravated harassment, attempted assault, and criminal possession of a weapon. She was released from custody on Friday evening and is expected in court on November 13.

Kelly noted that the US Secret Service will investigate how the individual was able to access a major national security event. The official described the assault as politically motivated, linking it to threats against Secretary Kennedy. “It felt very political in nature… It’s a scary thing for the team,” the official said.

Background tensions at UNGA

The assault comes amid heightened tensions during UNGA this week. President Donald Trump previously raised concerns about “technical issues” during his UN visit, including a stalled escalator, teleprompter failure, and audio problems in the auditorium, which he described as a “triple sabotage.” Trump reportedly sent his concerns to the UN Secretary-General, requesting an investigation and a review of security footage.

The official said that despite the attack, the HHS team feels “empowered” and commended their leadership for handling the situation.