Former President Donald Trump has made serious allegations regarding his recent speech at the U.N. General Assembly, claiming he experienced a series of mishaps that he describes as "triple sabotage." In a post on Truth Social, Trump demanded an investigation into what he believes were coordinated incidents involving an escalator, a teleprompter, and a sound system, with the United Nations partially attributing the blame to the White House.
On Tuesday, Trump visited the United Nations headquarters in New York City, where he was set to address a gathering of world leaders. His troubles began almost immediately as he and First Lady Melania Trump stepped onto an escalator that suddenly halted, leaving them stranded momentarily. This incident, dubbed "Escalatorgate," was captured on video, showing the couple climbing the remaining stairs while gripping the handrails.
As Trump approached the podium to deliver his speech, he discovered that the teleprompter was malfunctioning. Despite this setback, he maintained his composure, jokingly remarking that "whoever's operating this teleprompter is in big trouble," which elicited laughter from the audience. Recalling the day's technical difficulties, Trump quipped, "All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up stopped right in the middle." He later emphasized that had Melania not been fit, it could have ended in disaster.
Once the teleprompter was back in operation, Trump delivered a nearly hour-long address that included controversial statements labeling global warming a hoax and criticizing Europe for its immigration policies. He also accused the U.N. of undermining Western countries and their borders. Despite his long-standing criticism of the organization, Trump assured U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres during a subsequent meeting that the United States is "behind the United Nations 100%."
Following his speech, Trump took to Truth Social again, expressing that he believed his address was well received, but his tone shifted dramatically by Wednesday. He labeled the escalator incident as "absolutely sabotage" and demanded accountability from those responsible. Trump stated, "It's amazing that Melania and I didn't fall forward onto the sharp edges of these steel steps, face first," attributing their safety to their tight grip on the handrails.
In response to Trump's allegations, Guterres' spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, announced that a thorough investigation would be conducted and that the U.N. is prepared to cooperate with U.S. authorities in determining the causes of the incidents. The U.N. has suggested that a U.S. videographer may have inadvertently caused the escalator to stop by triggering a safety feature designed to prevent accidents.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt hinted in a tweet that the escalator incident might have been intentional, citing jokes made by U.N. staff about turning off escalators for Trump's arrival. Additionally, she pointed out that a reporter from a conservative outlet reported a noticeable difference in audio levels compared to previous speakers, further fueling suspicions of sabotage. Leavitt asserted, "When you put all of this together, it doesn't look like a coincidence to me."
The series of incidents has raised alarms among U.N. staffers, especially in light of recent discoveries by the Secret Service regarding potential threats to security during the General Assembly. Trump's remarks regarding the speech's reception also revealed that many world leaders struggled to hear him without the use of interpreters' earpieces, raising questions about the sound system's effectiveness. A U.N. official explained that the system was designed for translations into multiple languages, which may have affected the volume.
As investigations into these incidents continue, U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz characterized the occurrences as "unacceptable" and indicative of a "broken institution" that poses serious risks to safety and security. Waltz emphasized the need for swift cooperation and decisive action moving forward, reflecting the ongoing tensions between the United States and the United Nations. As this story develops, it remains to be seen how the findings from the investigations will impact U.S.-U.N. relations in the future.
