President Trump on Wednesday evening called for the UN staffers who intentionally stopped the escalators at the United Nations this week to be jailed.
Trump also demanded an investigation into three “very sinister events” that took place at the United Nations.
“A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday — Not one, not two, but three very sinister events! First, the escalator going up to the Main Speaking Floor came to a screeching halt. It stopped on a dime. 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. This was absolutely sabotage, as noted by a day’s earlier “post” in The London Times that said UN workers “joked about turning off an escalator.” The people that did it should be arrested! Then, as I stood before a Television crowd of millions of people all over the World, and important Leaders in the Hall, my teleprompter didn’t work. It was stone cold dark. I immediately thought to myself, “Wow, first the escalator event, and now a bad teleprompter. What kind of a place is this?” I then proceeded to make a Speech without a teleprompter, which kicked in about 15 minutes later. The good news is the Speech has gotten fantastic reviews. Maybe they appreciated the fact that very few people could have done what I did. And third, after making the Speech, I was told that the sound was completely off in the Auditorium where the Speech was made, that World Leaders, unless they used the interpreters’ earpieces, couldn’t hear a thing. The first person I saw at the conclusion of the Speech was Melania, who was sitting right up front. I said, “How did I do?” And she said, “I couldn’t hear a word you said.” This wasn’t a coincidence, this was triple sabotage at the UN. They ought to be ashamed of themselves. I’m sending a copy of this letter to the Secretary General, and I demand an immediate investigation. No wonder the United Nations hasn’t been able to do the job that they were put in existence to do. All security tapes at the escalator should be saved, especially the emergency stop button. The Secret Service is involved. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The White House on Tuesday afternoon demanded an investigation amid reports that UN staffers intentionally stopped the escalator as President Trump and First Lady Melania were stepping on in a major security breach.
“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,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, along with a report that UN staffers may turn off the escalators to make Trump walk up the stairs.
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.
The Times reported this on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/NitsWbGYG0
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) September 23, 2025
President Trump returned to the United Nations General Assembly stage in New York City for a major address to the General Assembly on Tuesday.
First Lady Melania and President Trump walked through the building and stepped on an escalator that was surrounded by people. There were two escalators going up to the next floor. Melania Trump stepped on the escalator on the left followed by President Trump. As soon as President Trump stepped on the escalator it came to a halt. However, the escalator on the right continued to operate.
Melania reacted quickly and started walking up the escalator stairs, followed by President Trump and his entourage.
This is insane…
As Trump arrived to the UN, the escalator stopped working the moment he stepped on it.
Then the teleprompter stopped working the moment he got up to the podium to speak. pic.twitter.com/XBTgfr6zJ8
— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) September 23, 2025
Secret Service sources told RealClearPolitics reporter Susan Crabtree that it is very concerning that President Trump was “stalled and vulnerable.”
“Sources in the Secret Service community are very concerned about what they witnessed from fellow agents today when President Trump was stalled and vulnerable. It’s a similar critique to the Secret Service’s delayed response in getting Trump off stage after a bullet grazed his ear on July 13,” Susan Crabtree said.
Why did the @SecretService allow Pres. Trump and Melania to get stalled on an escalator today at the @UN General Assembly before his speech without moving quickly to protect the leader of the free world and his wife?
The stalled escalator with President Trump and first lady… https://t.co/mFvxGVXDQN
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) September 23, 2025
Karoline Leavitt said the Secret Service is investigating the escalator situation.
“If we find that these were UN staffers who were purposefully trying to trip up President Trump and FLOTUS well, there better be accountability for those people,” she said.
BREAKING: The Secret Service has launched an investigation into the escalator situation at the United Nations today, per Karoline Leavitt
If someone did this intentionally, they should be CRIMINALLY charged.
It put President Trump is a VERY compromising position.
“If we… pic.twitter.com/nHJW36wCCx
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 24, 2025
