NEW YORK — U.S. President Donald Trump has accused the United Nations of orchestrating a “triple sabotage” during his visit to the General Assembly, following a sequence of mishaps that disrupted his arrival and speech. Trump dubbed the incident “Escalatorgate” in a dramatic post on social media, calling for an immediate investigation.
In a 357-word statement on Wednesday, Trump detailed three incidents: a stalled escalator carrying him and First Lady Melania Trump, a teleprompter failure during his address, and poor audio that left his wife unable to hear him. “A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday… Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!” Trump wrote.
The first incident occurred as the couple approached the UN headquarters in New York. Video footage shows them stepping onto an escalator that stopped abruptly, forcing Melania to climb the steps and Trump following closely behind. Trump expressed relief that neither fell and said it was a sign of sabotage.
At the podium, Trump’s teleprompter reportedly “went stone cold dark.” He improvised parts of his speech and later said Melania told him she “couldn’t hear a word” he said.
The UN responded, saying an investigation showed the stoppage was likely triggered inadvertently by a U.S. delegation videographer. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the technician reset the escalator within minutes. However, Trump rejected the explanation, alleging a deliberate plot and pointing to a report that UN staff joked about turning off escalators to mock him.
Later, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed on Fox News the incident could have been intended to humiliate Trump and Melania, warning of “accountability” if sabotage was confirmed.
During his speech to the UN General Assembly, Trump described the mishaps and criticized the organization. He also warned European nations about migration, claiming they risk being “going to hell” if they did not act.
Trump’s “triple sabotage” claim has since sparked heated debate among diplomats and political commentators, fueling broader tensions between the U.S. and the United Nations.