During his visit to the United Nations on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump experienced technical difficulties with both an escalator and a teleprompter. After the escalator malfunctioned, which the White House is investigating for potential foul play, Trump joked about the incidents in his speech to the UN General Assembly. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that if the escalator was intentionally stopped to embarrass Trump, accountability would be sought.

The UN later clarified that the escalator stopped due to a safety mechanism being triggered, reportedly by someone in front of Trump. Leavitt highlighted a prior report indicating that some UN staff members had joked about turning off the escalators amid US budget cuts.

Trump also encountered a malfunctioning teleprompter during his address, remarking on its failure. He humorously linked the incidents to what he perceived as the UN’s shortcomings, lamenting not receiving support for his diplomatic efforts. The UN maintained that the escalator’s shutdown was due to a standard safety measure and commented that the teleprompter, operated by the White House, was not their responsibility. The escalator was reset shortly after the incident.



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