“Escalator, Teleprompter, and Audio Glitches: Trump Calls for UN Investigation”

Trump claims that during his visit to the United Nations headquarters in New York on September 23, 2025, there were three separate technical glitches that he believes were deliberate, as follows:

1. An escalator malfunction: He and First Lady Melania Trump stepped onto an escalator that “came to a screeching halt,” nearly causing a fall. Al Jazeera+3Moneycontrol+3Reuters+3

2. A teleprompter failure: The teleprompter went “stone cold dark” at the start of his speech. Newsweek+2CBS News+2

3. Audio/sound issues: Trump says the sound system was “completely off” in the auditorium, so many couldn’t hear his speech unless they used earpieces or translation devices. Moneycontrol+2CNBC+2

He called these “three very sinister events,” declared they were not coincidences but “triple sabotage,” and demanded an immediate investigation. He also asked for all security camera footage related to the escalator, especially around the emergency stop, to be preserved. Moneycontrol+1

Responses / Counterpoints Raised

However, UN officials and others have offered alternative explanations and pushed back on the sabotage claim:

• The UN says the escalator stopping was likely due to its built-in safety mechanism being triggered. In particular, a videographer from Trump’s delegation may have walked backwards up the escalator (to film), inadvertently activating the emergency stop. Reuters+2CBS News+2

• On the teleprompter issue, UN officials note that the teleprompter is operated by the White House, meaning the malfunction might not have been under the UN’s control. CBS News+2CNBC+2

• Regarding the sound issues, the UN points out that speeches are translated into multiple languages; many delegates hear the speech through earpieces, so even when there seem to be sound problems in the main auditorium, the interpretation system may still allow translation listeners to follow. Reuters+1

Stakes & Implications

From the pro-Trump side:

• If sabotage were proven, it would suggest serious misconduct or negligence by the UN, possibly implicating staff or infrastructure oversight failures.

• It would raise issues of security and safety (escalator risk, speech delivery).

• Politically, the claim reinforces a narrative of the UN being dysfunctional or hostile to Trump, which may play well with his base.

From the UN / skeptical side:

• The explanations offered fit plausible causes (safety mechanisms, equipment operated by different parties, translation/eavesdropping issues).

• Proving deliberate sabotage is a high bar—one would need evidence that someone intentionally caused the escalator to stop, disabled the teleprompter, or muted the sound system.

Likelihood / Assessment

Weighing the evidence:

• The escalator stoppage has a concrete technical mechanism (safety stop) and a plausible trigger (the videographer). That weakens the sabotage claim unless there is evidence to the contrary.

• The teleprompter being operated by the White House suggests a split in responsibility; unless there is proof the UN had control and intentionally disabled it, this claim is hard to substantiate.

• The sound issue is more ambiguous: it’s often difficult to immediately assess whether audio failures are deliberate or due to logistical/setup issues, especially in large venues with translation systems.

So overall, while the pattern (three failures in succession) might look suspicious to some, there is as yet no verifiable public evidence presented that proves intent. Many of the reported reasons are consistent with accidental or systemic failures rather than deliberate wrongdoing.

What to Watch: What to Request

If pursuing an investigation or forming an opinion, the following would be critical:

• Security / camera footage from the escalator, especially logs from the system that triggered the stop (what exactly triggered it, was the videographer walking backwards, etc.).

• Technical data / logs from the teleprompter: who operates it, when it failed, whether it was tested beforehand.

• Audio/sound system reports: whether there were microphone failures, amplifier issues, or entire system breakdowns, and whether backups/interpreters’ systems were also compromised.

• Chain of custody / responsibility: which party (UN, White House, external contractors) is responsible for each component (escalator safety, teleprompter, sound).

• Interviews or statements from UN staff and Trump’s team about the timeline and whether any prior threats or comments (e.g. reports of jokes among UN staff) suggest possible motive or awareness.