Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Two of the issues, however, can be traced back to Trump’s own team.
Two of the issues, however, can be traced back to Trump’s own team.
What is happening?
Donald Trump has demanded a formal investigation into what he described as a “triple sabotage” during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
Posting on Truth Social, the US president said three separate malfunctions disrupted his appearance and were “not a coincidence.”
Escalator stops as Trump and Melania step on
According to Trump, the first incident occurred as he and First Lady Melania Trump stepped onto an escalator inside the UN headquarters.
The machine reportedly stopped suddenly, prompting concern from Secret Service personnel and an angry reaction from the president, who immediately suspected foul play.
UN workers allegedly joked about stopping the escalator
Fueling Trump’s suspicions was a report from The Times that some UN workers had joked about cutting power to the escalators.
Trump referenced the article in his social media post, calling for the arrest of anyone involved and demanding that all relevant security tapes, especially those near the emergency stop button, be preserved.
Trump’s videographer may be the reason
In response, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the escalator likely stopped due to a safety mechanism being activated.
He explained that Trump’s videographer, who was walking backward to film the couple, may have inadvertently triggered the system.
This explanation did little to calm Trump, who insisted the stop was intentional.
“This was absolutely sabotage,” says Trump
Trump doubled down on his accusation, writing: “This was absolutely sabotage… All security tapes at the escalator should be saved.”
He added that the Secret Service was now involved and treating the matter seriously.
“They ought to be ashamed of themselves,” he said of the UN staff.
Teleprompter fails mid-speech
Not long after the escalator incident, Trump encountered a second issue: his teleprompter stopped working during his speech.
Visibly irritated, he said, “I can only say that whoever’s operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.”
The equipment was restored before the end of his remarks.
UN blames US delegation
A UN official later clarified that the teleprompter was operated by the US delegation itself.
According to the statement, Trump’s team had brought their own laptops and connected them to the UN’s AV system.
Trump demands accountability
Despite the clarification, Trump dismissed the explanation and maintained that the glitch was no accident
He framed the incident as the second act of a deliberate effort to undermine him on the global stage.
“A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday,” he wrote.
Audio issues
The third problem Trump raised involved the auditorium’s sound system.
In his Truth Social post, he claimed “the sound was completely off,” leaving many world leaders unable to hear him unless they were wearing translation earpieces.
UN: Audio system was functioning as designed
A UN official pushed back, stating that the sound system was working properly and that translated audio is delivered through earpieces in six official languages.
Attendees are expected to use the devices at all times — a standard procedure for such events.
The official did not confirm any technical fault.
Trump sends letter demanding investigation
Following the incidents, Trump said he was sending an official letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres demanding a full investigation.
“This wasn’t a coincidence, this was triple sabotage at the UN,” he declared. “They ought to be ashamed of themselves.”
Ambassador and White House support claims
Trump’s accusations were echoed by US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Waltz called the incidents “unacceptable” and demanded swift action.
Leavitt posted on X that if the escalator was intentionally stopped, “they need to be fired and investigated immediately.”
UN remains silent on formal probe
As of now, the UN has not confirmed whether it will open a formal investigation into the matter.
The organization insists there were no deliberate attempts to disrupt Trump’s visit.
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
