US President Donald Trump brushed off two mishaps at the United Nations on Tuesday — a stalled escalator and a faulty teleprompter — during his General Assembly appearance. However, the White House took a tougher stance, demanding an investigation into what it suggested could be deliberate attempts to embarrass the American leader.

Escalator stops with Trump and Melania onboard

The incident unfolded at UN headquarters when Trump and First Lady Melania stepped onto an escalator that moved only a short distance before abruptly stopping. Melania, in high heels, jolted forward at the sudden halt, prompting the couple to walk up the frozen escalator rather than switch to an adjacent moving one.

Later, in his address to world leaders, Trump joked, “All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that, on the way up, stopped right in the middle… and a bad teleprompter.” He added that Melania’s fitness had prevented a fall: “If she wasn’t in great shape, she would have fallen, but she’s in great shape. We’re both in good shape.”

White House voices suspicion

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt took a sharper tone, calling the malfunction “suspicious.” Writing on X, she said, “If someone at the UN intentionally stopped the escalator as the President and First Lady were stepping on, they need to be fired and investigated immediately.”

Leavitt also cited a Times of London report claiming UN staffers had joked about shutting down lifts and escalators to mock Trump, especially after his administration cut US funding to the organisation.

Speaking later to Fox News, Leavitt added that the teleprompter audio appeared unusually low compared to previous speakers. “When you put all of this together, it doesn’t look like a coincidence to me. The Secret Service is looking into this,” she said.

UN rejects sabotage claims

UN officials strongly denied any suggestion of foul play. Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told AFP the stoppage was accidental, caused when someone ahead of Trump triggered the escalator’s safety mechanism. “The escalator was reset and was soon back in operation,” he said. Another UN spokesperson, Farhan Aziz Haq, echoed the explanation, stressing the incident was not deliberate.

On the teleprompter malfunction, UN officials clarified that the device was operated by the White House, not UN staff.

Trump turns glitches into jokes

During his speech, Trump quipped, “Whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble,” before linking the glitches to his broader criticism of the UN. He argued, “I ended seven wars, dealt with the leaders of each and every one of these countries, and never even received a phone call from the United Nations.”

After the address, he posted on Truth Social that while the equipment was “faulty,” the mishaps “probably made the speech more interesting.” He reiterated his agenda, focusing on energy and migration issues, and called it “a great honour to speak before the United Nations.”

Political context

The sharp White House response comes amid ongoing tensions with the UN. Since returning to office, Trump has slashed about $1 billion in US contributions to the organisation, a move that has deepened mistrust between Washington and the global body.

While conservative commentators and some security experts suggested a deliberate attempt to undermine him, former Secret Service agent Rich Staropoli criticised the response of Trump’s security detail, saying, “This is not hard. Don’t just stand there. Somebody’s got to make a call.”

For the UN, however, the matter was considered closed