Trump's Escalator Incident At UN Sparks Conspiracy Theories

Trump's Escalator Malfunction At UN Generates Online Conspiracy Theories

The unexpected incident has become fodder for both critics and supporters of Trump across social media platforms.

New Delhi:

A mechanical failure of an escalator at the United Nations headquarters in New York has sparked numerous conspiracy theories online, despite UN officials providing a clear technical explanation for the incident that occurred Tuesday morning as President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attempted to use it.

The brief malfunction, which forced the presidential couple to climb the stationary steps manually, quickly overshadowed aspects of President Trump's address to the UN General Assembly during his second term, while simultaneously generating abundant content for social media discussions among both his supporters and detractors.

The incident unfolded around 9:50 am when the President and First Lady entered the UN complex through the delegates' entrance. After passing security clearance, they approached the main escalator leading to the second floor. A White House videographer, who was walking backwards to capture their arrival, had just reached the top as the couple stepped onto the escalator. Suddenly, the mechanism jolted to a complete stop.

This unexpected halt left the presidential couple momentarily stranded before Mrs. Trump began ascending the immobile steps on her own. President Trump followed closely behind her, appearing somewhat concerned about whether the machinery might unexpectedly restart.

The sight of the US president manually climbing a non-functioning escalator was broadcast live and rapidly circulated across various social media platforms, immediately becoming a topic of widespread discussion.

During his subsequent address to world leaders in the General Assembly hall, President Trump referenced the escalator incident multiple times, remarking, "All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that, on the way up, stopped right in the middle." This comment elicited some laughter from the assembled delegates. He added: "If the First Lady wasn't in great shape, she would have fallen. But she's in great shape. We both stood."

President Trump encountered a second technical difficulty during his speech when his teleprompter temporarily malfunctioned. He jokingly commented that the operator was "in big trouble" and suggested that these technical issues meant he was "speaking more from the heart."

Later that day, during a bilateral meeting with Secretary-General António Guterres, Trump revisited the morning's events, stating, "This was a little more exciting because of the escalator and the teleprompter. These things happen."

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, promptly provided a technical explanation for the incident. "Our technician, who was present at the location, reset the escalator as soon as the delegation had climbed up to the second floor," he informed reporters. Upon investigation of the central processing unit, it was confirmed that a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step had been triggered.

"The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects from accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing," Dujarric clarified. "The videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function described above."

Essentially, the malfunction was attributed not to UN staff or equipment failure, but to the unusual presence of a cameraman walking backwards at the top of the escalator, which activated the safety feature.

Despite this straightforward explanation, online speculation proliferated almost immediately. On X (previously known as Twitter), brief video clips of the incident circulated with captions suggesting deliberate sabotage. Some posts accused UN personnel of intentionally disabling the escalator to embarrass the president.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt contributed to these suspicions by writing: "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." She also referenced a past satirical article mentioning jokes among UN staff about shutting off escalators due to budget constraints.

On Fox News, host Jesse Watters propagated additional theories, claiming, "They sabotaged him, and they could've hurt the First Lady."

US Vice President JD Vance commented on X: "All kidding aside did everyone notice how despite the lack of a teleprompter, he delivered a clear, reasonable address on US foreign policy? It's nice to have a president with a brain!"

According to UN staff, escalator malfunctions at the headquarters are not unusual, particularly in recent years as the organization has faced financial challenges.

Budget shortfalls—partially resulting from delayed member state contributions, including those from the United States—have forced the UN Secretariat to implement periodic cost-saving measures. Both elevators and escalators in New York and Geneva facilities have occasionally been deactivated to reduce electricity consumption.

The financial constraints have been characterized internally as a "liquidity crisis," which, despite its bureaucratic terminology, has had noticeable impacts on the daily operations of the institution.

By repeatedly mentioning both the escalator and teleprompter failures, the US President appeared to frame his visit as symbolic of an institution prone to operational breakdowns. "These are the two things I got from the United Nations - a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter," he told delegates with a dismissive shrug.