White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt demanded the firing and investigation of anyone responsible for a stalled escalator that carried President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump before Trump’s United Nations General Assembly appearance in New York on Tuesday.
The incident occurred just before the president addressed world leaders, forcing the couple to walk up the halted escalator to reach the second floor for the event.
Leavitt made the call after reports that United Nations staffers joked about switching off the escalator. In a post on X reacting to a report in The Times of London, she wrote,
“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.”
Her message elevated a security question on a day already marked by heavy protective measures around UN headquarters and the motorcades that surround the General Assembly week.
What happened before the UN speech
Witnesses said the escalator suddenly stopped while the Trumps were riding it upward inside the building. The stop came shortly before the president’s scheduled address and created a brief bottleneck as security and aides moved to clear the path.
The couple then walked the remaining steps to the second level, where Trump proceeded to the assembly hall for his remarks.
The episode played out amid tight logistics. Delegations, press, security details, and UN staff share confined space as leaders arrive and depart the complex.
Routine building systems, including elevators and escalators, are heavily trafficked during these periods, and any interruption can ripple through the floor plan. On Tuesday morning, the delay was short, but it drew rapid scrutiny because it coincided with the president’s arrival.
Leavitt’s allegation and call for accountability
Leavitt amplified her concern later Tuesday. Asked on “Jesse Watters Primetime” whether the stoppage might have been intentional, she said, “That’s definitely what it appears to be to me.” She cited weekend reporting in The Times of London, saying there had been talk among “U.N. globalist staffers” about switching off the escalator.
She added that the U.S. Secret Service was examining the matter. “If we find that these were U.N. staffers who were purposefully trying to trip up, literally trip up the president and the first lady of the United States, well there better be accountability for those people,” Leavitt said. The White House later referred questions to her post on X and did not provide additional detail.
For readers, The Times report is part of broader UNGA coverage by the British outlet. Leavitt’s television comments were highlighted by Fox News Digital, which also reported her assertion that the agency’s protective personnel were looking into what happened.
The UN’s account of the stoppage
A United Nations spokesperson offered a different explanation. Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for Secretary-General António Guterres, said that a member of the U.S. delegation moved ahead of the Trumps on the up-moving escalator to film their arrival, then traveled backward while filming.
As that videographer reached the top landing, the first lady and the president stepped onto the escalator at the bottom. At approximately 9:50 a.m., the escalator stopped.
According to Dujarric, a UN technician on site reset the system once the delegation had climbed to the second floor. A subsequent review, including a readout of the central processing unit, indicated that the escalator halted because a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step at the top was triggered. The safety feature is designed to stop the machine if a person or object risks being caught in the gearing.
Dujarric said the videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function. The UN said there was nothing nefarious about the event.
What investigators are doing
The Secret Service routinely assesses any irregularities around protectee movements that could present safety issues, including facility infrastructure. Leavitt said the agency was looking into the incident. As of Tuesday night, there were no public findings from the Secret Service about whether the stoppage was accidental or deliberate.
The White House relied on Leavitt’s statements on X and her television appearance to communicate its position that accountability would be necessary if intentional action were proven.
Building systems at UN headquarters are managed by UN staff and contractors. During UNGA week, U.S. and UN security teams coordinate access points, camera positions, and press movements.
That choreography can bring delegation personnel into close proximity with fixed equipment. The UN’s description of the safety mechanism presents a technical explanation that differs from allegations of sabotage. Any official resolution will hinge on electronic logs from the escalator, witness statements, and video review.
Teleprompter failure and the rest of the speech
The escalator issue was not the only technical hiccup on Tuesday. A teleprompter freeze forced Trump to ad-lib at the start of his General Assembly address. “I feel very happy to be up here with you, nevertheless, and that way you speak more from the heart,” he said, adding, “I can only say that whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.” Laughter followed in the hall. The prompter resumed a few minutes later and Trump continued with prepared remarks.
Trump circled back to the earlier interruption as he spoke about his record and frustrations with international institutions. “All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up stopped right in the middle,” he said.
“If the first lady wasn’t in great shape, she would’ve fallen. But she’s in great shape. We’re both in good shape. We both stood. These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter.” The lines drew another round of laughs in the chamber.
