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As Donald Trump and Melania tripped on a malfunctioned escalator at the UN, it clarified that the glitch was caused by a safety mechanism triggered by Trump’s videographer.
Donald Trump, Melania Trump on the malfunctioned escalator at the UN (Photos: Reuters/AFP)
Hours after an escalator at the United Nations stopped abruptly as US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump stepped onto it, the organisation said it may have resolved the mystery behind it.
Reuters quoted Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson of the United Nations, as saying that a readout of the escalator’s central processing unit indicated it “had stopped after a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step was triggered at the top of the escalator”.
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He said Trump’s videographer had been travelling backwards up the escalator to capture his arrival with First Lady Melania Trump.
“The videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function,” Dujarric said in a statement.
“The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects from accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing,” he said.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED
An escalator at the United Nations stopped shortly as Donald Trump and Melania stepped onto it on Tuesday.
Videos of the incident, widely shared on social media, showed Donald Trump and Melania Trump walking towards the escalator. It stopped the moment they stepped onto it.
They then steadied themselves and continued climbing up the metal steps.
Later, Trump jokingly complained about the incident during his speech to world leaders. However, the teleprompter also didn’t work.
“These are the two things I got from the United Nations, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter,” he told the 193-member assembly, to some laughter.
However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wasn’t so lighthearted about it.
“If someone at the United Nations intentionally stopped the escalator as the President and First Lady were stepping on, they need to be fired and investigated immediately,” she posted on X after the incident.
On the teleprompter, Trump told the General Assembly on Tuesday, “I can only say that whoever’s operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.”
However, a UN official said the White House had operated its own teleprompter.
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About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
September 24, 2025, 17:53 IST
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