White House Demands Probe After Trump’s UN Escalator Halt and Teleprompter Glitch

The White House is demanding an immediate investigation into an incident at the United Nations where an escalator carrying President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump unexpectedly stopped, forcing them to walk. The event, which occurred on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, ahead of the President’s address to the 80th UN General Assembly, has sparked strong reactions from White House officials.

Adding to the President’s frustrations, his teleprompter also malfunctioned at the start of his speech. President Trump later publicly commented on both events, posting on social media that while “the teleprompter was broken and the escalator came to a sudden halt,” these issues “probably made the speech more interesting.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has been vocal about the administration’s concerns, stating, “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.” Leavitt reiterated these warnings on Fox News, confirming that the Secret Service and other personnel are looking into the matter, despite not providing evidence of deliberate action.

The United Nations, however, has offered an explanation, suggesting the escalator’s safety mechanism was inadvertently triggered. According to a UN statement, a videographer filming backward on the escalator ahead of the presidential couple may have activated a safety feature designed to prevent obstructions. A subsequent investigation, including a readout of the machine’s central processing unit, supported this conclusion, indicating a safety mechanism on the comb step was triggered. The UN has not yet detailed the teleprompter malfunction.

As of Wednesday, the White House has declined to provide additional comments on the ongoing situation.

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