White House seeks probe after Trump’s escalator gets stuck during his UN visit

A brief technical snag at the United Nations turned into a diplomatic flashpoint after an escalator abruptly halted just as US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump stepped onto it.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denounced the incident as ‘unacceptable,’ urging a formal inquiry to determine whether the stoppage was accidental or deliberate. “If anyone at the UN intentionally caused the escalator to stop as the President and First Lady boarded, they should be held accountable and investigated immediately,” Leavitt posted on X.

The demand followed a report in The Times claiming that some UN employees had previously joked about shutting down escalators and elevators during Trump’s appearances, teasing they could blame it on budget issues.

Trump initially appeared to take the glitch in stride, but moments later faced another disruption when his teleprompter failed at the start of his address to the General Assembly. Linking the two mishaps, he quipped that both reflected the UN’s “bigger problems.”

He added with characteristic flair: “These are the two things I got from the United Nations – a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter. Thank you very much.”