President Donald Trump is demanding a formal investigation into what he characterized as deliberate sabotage following a series of technical problems during his visit to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.
The president encountered three separate technical issues during his UN appearance: an escalator that stopped abruptly as he and First Lady Melania Trump stepped onto it, a malfunctioning teleprompter during his speech, and audio problems in the assembly hall.
In a lengthy social media post on Truth Social, Trump described the incidents as “triple sabotage” and announced he would be sending a formal letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres requesting an immediate investigation.
“A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday – Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!” Trump wrote. “This wasn’t a coincidence, this was triple sabotage at the UN. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.”
The escalator incident has drawn particular attention from the administration. Trump referenced a Times article suggesting UN workers had joked about shutting off the escalators, and he called for arrests of those responsible. “This was absolutely sabotage,” he stated, adding that the Secret Service is now involved and all security footage should be preserved.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the president’s concerns, posting on X that if someone “intentionally stopped the escalator as the President and First Lady were stepping on, they need to be fired and investigated immediately.”
However, UN officials have provided technical explanations for each incident. Regarding the escalator, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Trump’s videographer “may have inadvertently triggered the safety function” while filming the presidential couple as they moved backwards up the escalator.
The teleprompter malfunction also appears to have a straightforward explanation. During his speech, Trump acknowledged the problem, saying, “I can only say that whoever’s operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.” UN officials later clarified that the White House delegation was operating their own teleprompter equipment, bringing their own laptops and connecting them to the UN’s system.
As for the audio issues Trump mentioned, UN officials explained that the sound system was specifically designed for multilingual translation, allowing attendees to hear speeches translated into six languages through earpieces rather than through general auditorium speakers.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz supported the president’s call for an official investigation, describing the incidents as “unacceptable” and warning that “The United States will not tolerate threats to our security or dignity at international forums.”
The UN has indicated it will cooperate with any official inquiry while maintaining that the technical difficulties had logical explanations rather than malicious intent.
