The White House has demanded an investigation after an escalator suddenly stopped while President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were stepping on it at United Nations headquarters in New York. The incident occurred just before Trump’s speech at the UN General Assembly, where he delivered sharp criticism of the global body.
Video footage shows the 79-year-old Trump and Melania stepping onto the escalator, which halted abruptly after only a few feet. While no injuries occurred, the moment sparked immediate concern and political debate.
Oooo I’m mad!
— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) September 23, 2025
Just before President Trump and Melania stepped to the escalator to go up, it STOPPED working
Drop a . If you believe the UN planned this bullshit stunthttps://t.co/67IOZrqu3k https://t.co/umjOKABqmb pic.twitter.com/86fkDnGTZm
White House Demands Investigation
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt voiced strong concerns on X (formerly Twitter), writing:
“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.”
Trump also mentioned the incident during his speech, remarking, “If the First Lady wasn’t in great shape, she would have fallen. But she’s in great shape. We’re both in good shape.”
Trump Jokes About Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
The president downplayed the scare with humor during his address, saying: “All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that, on the way up, stopped right in the middle — and a teleprompter that didn’t work. Thank you very much.”
Earlier, a teleprompter malfunction forced Trump to ad-lib parts of his remarks. “Whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble,” he joked.
UN’s Response to Escalator Incident
Reports in The Times of London claimed UN staff joked about “turning off the escalator” and telling Trump they had “run out of money,” referencing US funding cuts during his presidency.
However, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric denied foul play, telling AFP: “The safety mechanism was inadvertently triggered by someone who was ahead of the president on the escalator. The escalator was reset and back in operation shortly after.”
On the teleprompter issue, Dujarric clarified: “We have no comment since the teleprompter for the US president is operated by the White House.”
Political and Media Fallout
The escalator malfunction has since become a political talking point, with Trump supporters calling for accountability and critics dismissing the concerns as overblown. Still, the incident highlights heightened scrutiny of Trump’s interactions with international institutions during his presidency.
