President Trump accused UN staff of orchestrating a deliberate attempt to humiliate him during his General Assembly speech — calling it “a real disgrace” and demanding arrests.
President Donald Trump has demanded an immediate investigation into what he described as a “triple sabotage” during his high-profile address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
In a fiery post on Truth Social Wednesday, Trump said the UN deliberately staged a series of technical failures to embarrass him.
“A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday — Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!”
The alleged sabotage included:
- A halted escalator that nearly caused a dangerous fall for Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
- A malfunctioning teleprompter that repeatedly cut out during his speech.
- Audio problems that left world leaders unable to hear him without interpreters’ earpieces.
During his remarks, Trump joked:
“These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter.”
But his tone later hardened. Trump claimed the escalator incident was “absolutely sabotage,” warning that only his and Melania’s grip on the handrails prevented serious injury. He cited a Times of London report alleging that UN staff had joked about disabling elevators and escalators ahead of his arrival. “The people that did it should be arrested!” he declared.
The UN denied foul play. A spokesperson said a “built-in safety mechanism” had triggered the escalator stop, possibly because of a videographer in the U.S. delegation. Secretary-General António Guterres’ spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, called the incident accidental.
Trump rejected the explanation, promising to send a formal letter demanding security footage and a full investigation.
“This wasn’t a coincidence — this was triple sabotage at the UN. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt backed Trump, posting online:
“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.”
The controversy added drama to a UN session already tense with Trump’s blunt condemnations of Hamas appeasement and his strong reaffirmation of support for Israel. For many, the “triple sabotage” epitomized the hostility of an institution that fails to protect its mission but always finds time to undermine leaders who dare to call out its hypocrisy.
