Trump demands investigation into UN 'triple sabotage' after escalator and teleprompter accidents

2025-09-25 09:15:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Trump demands investigation into UN 'triple sabotage' after escalator

Donald Trump has called for an investigation into what he called a "triple sabotage" during his visit to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

In a post on social media, the US president referred to an escalator suddenly stopping as he and First Lady Melania Trump stepped on it, a teleprompter that didn't work during his speech, and an audio problem in the hall.

A UN official said the sound system was designed to allow people to listen to translated speeches through headphones.

The UN previously said a security mechanism may have been activated by Trump's videographer, who had traveled backwards on the escalator, while the teleprompter belonged to the American delegation.

Trump criticized the incidents at Truth Social and said he was sending a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, demanding an immediate investigation.

"A TRUE DISGUSTING thing happened yesterday at the United Nations. Not one, not two, but three very horrendous events. This was no coincidence, this was triple sabotage at the UN. They should be ashamed of themselves," Trump wrote.

He also called for the arrest of those responsible for the escalator incident, referring to an article in the Times newspaper that said UN employees joked about turning off the escalator.

"This was absolutely sabotage... All the safety tapes on the escalators should be preserved, especially the emergency stop button. The Secret Service is involved," Trump added.

Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, supported the president's call for a formal investigation, saying the incidents were "unacceptable".

"The United States will not tolerate threats to our security or dignity in international forums. We expect prompt cooperation and decisive action," he wrote in X.

On Wednesday, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt raised concerns that someone intentionally stopped the escalator.

"If anyone at the UN intentionally stopped the escalator while the President and First Lady were stepping on it, they should be fired and investigated immediately," she wrote on X after the incident.

Stephane Dujarric, Guterres' spokesman, said Trump's videographer "may have inadvertently activated the security feature" while filming the couple.

After the escalator accident, Trump encountered further technical difficulties when he said the teleprompter was not working - although it was restored towards the end of his speech.

"I can only say that whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble," he said.

A UN official later told the BBC that the White House was operating the teleprompter at the time, bringing their own laptops and connecting them to the UN system.

Trump also referred to audio problems in his lengthy post, saying that "the sound was completely off in the Auditorium."

"World leaders, if they didn't use the interpreters' headsets, couldn't hear anything," he added.

In response to Trump's comments, a UN official said: "The sound system is designed to allow people in their countries to hear speeches translated into six different languages ??through headphones."/ CNA, translated by BBC