UN escalator stops with Trump-Melania on; White House demands firing
What's the story
An escalator at the United Nations headquarters in New York City stopped abruptly when United States President Donald Trump and Melania Trump stepped onto it. The incident happened on Tuesday, before President Trump's speech at the 80th UN General Assembly. The White House has demanded an investigation into the matter, stating, "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."
Investigation demanded
White House demands investigation
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt cited a report from The Times, which suggested UN staff joked about turning off escalators due to US funding cuts. "To mark Trump's arrival, UN staff members have joked that they may turn off the escalators and elevators and simply tell him they ran out of money, so he has to walk up the stairs," Leavitt shared a screenshot from an article published in The Times.
Malfunction clarified
UN's response to the incident
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the escalator may have stopped after a built-in safety mechanism was triggered. He explained that Trump's videographer may have inadvertently activated this safety feature while filming the arrival of President Trump and First Lady Melania. The safety mechanism is meant to prevent people or objects from being caught in or pulled into the gearing.
Speech issues
Teleprompter also malfunctioned during Trump's speech
The escalator incident wasn't the only glitch President Trump faced at the UN. A teleprompter also malfunctioned during his speech. The United Nations clarified that this teleprompter is operated by the White House. In response to these technical difficulties, President Trump jokingly said, "Whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble." He then linked both incidents to what he described as the UN's multiple failings, including a lack of support for his global peace efforts.
Twitter Post
Visuals of escalator stopping, Trump talking without teleprompter
This is insane…
— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) September 23, 2025
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
Criticism voiced
Trump takes jab at UN over faulty equipment
During his speech, President Trump slammed the UN for not supporting his peace efforts and ended with a jab at the faulty equipment. "All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that, on the way up, stopped right in the middle," he said. "If the First Lady weren't in great shape, she would have fallen, but she's in great shape. We're both in good shape," he said.