President Trump on Wednesday demanded an investigation into what he claims was “triple sabotage” at the United Nations over multiple mechanical failures ahead of his speech at the General Assembly.
The president also revealed a third mechanical failure at the U.N., stating that the sound was turned off during the speech, meaning that world leaders couldn’t hear anything unless they used their interpreters’ earpieces.
Other mishaps during Mr. Trump’s visit Tuesday included an escalator grinding to a halt immediately after he and first lady Melania Trump stepped on it, and the teleprompter shut off before his speech.
“REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday – Not one, not two, but three very sinister events,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“This wasn’t a coincidence; this was triple sabotage at the UN. They ought to be ashamed of themselves,” he continued.
Mr. Trump added that he was filing a complaint with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and demanding an investigation, saying all security tapes at the escalator should be saved. He also said the U.S. Secret Service is investigating the matter.
The president said the stalled elevator posed a safety risk that could have injured him and Mrs. Trump.
“It’s amazing that Melania and I didn’t fall forward onto the sharp edges of these steel steps, face-first. It was only that we were each holding the handrail tightly or it would have been a disaster,” he wrote.
Mr. Trump also referenced a Times of London newspaper story, published Sunday, that said U.N. staff members had joked about turning off the escalators for Mr. Trump and “tell him they ran out of money,” in response to the U.S. slashing the money it sends to the global organization.
“The people that did it should be arrested,” Mr. Trump said.
The president said he became aware that the sound was turned off when Mrs. Trump told him that she “couldn’t hear a thing.”
A U.N. spokesman said Tuesday the escalator may have suddenly stopped because a White House videographer, who was traveling backward up the escalator to film Mr. Trump, may have inadvertently set off the escalator’s safety alarms.
“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. The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects from accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing,” Stephane Dujarroc, a spokesman for Mr. Guterres, said in a statement.
