Donald Trump has demanded an investigation into what he called a triple sabotage during his visit to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.
In a post on social media, the US president referred to an escalator abruptly stopping as he and First Lady Melania Trump stepped on, a teleprompter malfunctioning during his speech, and an audio issue in the auditorium.
A UN official said the sound system was designed to allow people to hear translated speeches through earpieces.
The UN previously stated that a safety mechanism might have been triggered by Trump's videographer who had been travelling backwards up the escalator while the teleprompter belonged to the US delegation.
Trump criticised the incidents on Truth Social and stated he was sending a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres demanding an immediate probe.
A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday - Not one, not two, but three very sinister events! he wrote. This wasn't a coincidence, this was triple sabotage at the UN. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.
He also called for the arrest of those responsible for the escalator incident, referencing an article in The Times that said UN workers joked about turning off the escalators.
This was absolutely sabotage... All security tapes at the escalator should be saved, especially the emergency stop button. The Secret Service is involved, Trump added.
Mike Waltz, US ambassador to the UN, echoed Trump’s call for an official probe, saying the incidents were unacceptable. The United States will not tolerate threats to our security or dignity at international forums. We expect swift cooperation and decisive action, he wrote on X.
On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt raised concerns that someone deliberately stopped the escalator.
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, she wrote on X following the incident.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for Guterres, stated that Trump’s videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function while filming the couple.
After the escalator mishap, Trump encountered further technical difficulties, claiming that the teleprompter was not operational - although it was restored towards the end of his address.
I can only say that whoever’s operating this teleprompter is in big trouble, he stated.
A UN official later told the BBC that the White House was operating the teleprompter during the speech, using their own laptops plugged into the UN's system.
Trump also mentioned audio issues in his extended post, saying the sound was completely off in the Auditorium and explained that World Leaders, unless they used the interpreters' earpieces, couldn't hear a thing. In response to Trump's claims, a UN official clarified that the sound system was set up to allow for translations into six different languages via earpieces.
