Journalism of Courage

‘Bad escalator, bad teleprompter’ jibe: UN says Trump’s cameraman triggered safety switch

Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the machine at UN headquarters stopped when the cameraman, walking backwards to film Trump and the First Lady, likely set off the sensor at the top.

By: Express Web Desk
September 24, 2025 09:48 AM IST

3 min read

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walk up the escalator after it stalled as he rode up to the General Assembly Hall at UN headquarters. (Source: AP)

The United Nations issued a statement saying US President Donald Trump’s gripe about a “bad escalator” has an explanation: his videographer tripped the safety switch. Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the machine at UN headquarters stopped at 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday, when the cameraman, who was part of the US delegation, was walking backwards to film Trump and the First Lady, likely triggering the sensor at the top.

“A subsequent investigation, including a readout of the machine’s central processing unit, indicated that the escalator had stopped after a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step was triggered at the top of the escalator,” read the statement. “The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing.”

‘All I got from UN’

“A bad teleprompter and a bad escalator are all I got from the United Nations,” President Donald Trump told world leaders at the General Assembly on Tuesday. The two glitches – one before and one during his speech – quickly became a talking point of the day.

First, Trump opened his address by saying the teleprompter wasn’t working. He quipped that whoever was operating it was “in big trouble” before switching to printed notes.

Weighing in

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X: “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 administration has not yet responded to the UN’s findings.

Vice President JD Vance took to X, saying: “It’s nice to have a president with a brain… All kidding aside, did everyone notice how, despite the lack of a teleprompter, he delivered a clear, reasonable address on US foreign policy?”

Teleprompter clarification

On the teleprompter malfunction Trump highlighted in his speech, a UN official said the White House operated its own equipment. UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said after Trump’s remarks: “The UN teleprompters are working perfectly.”

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