Trump claims ‘sabotage’ at U.N. from escalator, teleprompter and mic

Trump claims ‘sabotage’ at U.N. from escalator, teleprompter and mic


U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the 80th session of the UN’s General Assembly (UNGA) on Sept. 23, 2025 in New York City.

Alexi J. Rosenfeld | Getty Images

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he was the victim of a “triple sabotage” at the United Nations a day earlier, where an escalator, teleprompter and microphone all failed to work for him.

“A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday — Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

“This wasn’t a coincidence, this was triple sabotage at the UN,” wrote Trump, whose post was tweeted by the White House.

Trump, who said he was sending his post to the U.N.’s secretary general to demand an investigation, wrote that an escalator he and First Lady Melania Trump were boarding at the U.N. on Tuesday “came to a screeching halt” as he headed to make a speech to the General Assembly.

 “It stopped on a dime. It’s amazing that Melania and I didn’t fall forward onto the sharp edges of these steel steps, face first,” Trump wrote. “It was only that we were each holding the handrail tightly or, it would have been a disaster.”

“All security tapes at the escalator should be saved, especially the emergency stop button. The Secret Service is involved,” he wrote.

U.S. President Donald Trump (C) and first lady Melania Trump (R) walk up an escalator as they arrive to the 80th session of the UN’s General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations headquarters on September 23, 2025 in New York City.

Alexi J. Rosenfeld | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Then, Trump’s teleprompter did not work for the first portion of that speech, forcing him to read from paper for 15 minutes until the machine kicked in.

“The good news is the Speech has gotten fantastic reviews,” Trump wrote. “Maybe they appreciated the fact that very few people could have done what I did.”

But unfortunately for some people in the room, the president noted, “after making the Speech, I was told that the sound was completely off in the Auditorium where the Speech was made.”

“World Leaders, unless they used the interpreters’ earpieces, couldn’t hear a thing,” Trump wrote.

“The first person I saw at the conclusion of the Speech was Melania, who was sitting right up front. I said, ‘How did I do?’ “

“And she said, ‘I couldn’t hear a word you said.'”

Read more CNBC politics coverage

A UN official told the Associated Press on Tuesday that a person traveling with Trump inadvertently hit the stop lever on the escalator.

Trump’s post on Wednesday noted that The Times, a British newspaper, over the weekend reported that U.N. employees “joked about turning off an escalator” before his appearance there.

“The people that did it should be arrested!, Trump wrote.

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 23, 2025.

Mike Segar | Reuters

“I’m sending a copy of this letter to the Secretary General, and I demand an immediate investigation,” Trump wrote.

“No wonder the United Nations hasn’t been able to do the job that they were put in existence to do.”



Source

Congressional Republicans rally around Trump’s White House ballroom project
Politics

Congressional Republicans rally around Trump’s White House ballroom project

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) talks to reporters after speaking on the floor of the Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images A trio of Senate Republicans on Monday announced they will introduce legislation authorizing $400 million in federal funding to build President Donald Trump’s […]

Read More
Trump ballroom lawsuit plaintiff rejects DOJ demand to drop case after ‘assassination attempt’
Politics

Trump ballroom lawsuit plaintiff rejects DOJ demand to drop case after ‘assassination attempt’

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a rendering of his proposed ballroom as he meets with Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Oct. 22, 2025. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters The plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s $400 […]

Read More
Iran would reopen Strait of Hormuz, postpone nuclear talks if U.S. lifts blockade and war ends: Reports
Politics

Iran would reopen Strait of Hormuz, postpone nuclear talks if U.S. lifts blockade and war ends: Reports

In this handout photo provided by U.S. Central Command, U.S. forces patrol the Arabian Sea near M/V Touska on April 20, 2026, after firing upon the Iranian-flagged vessel that the U.S. accused of attempting to violate the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Navy | Getty Images Iran has […]

Read More