Trump–Melania viral moment: UN escalator glitch sparks conspiracy theories

President Donald Trump laughed off technical mishaps during his United Nations visit on Tuesday, but the White House is taking the incidents seriously. Both an escalator and a teleprompter malfunctioned during his appearance at the UN General Assembly in New York, prompting calls for an investigation.

“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,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X.

What happened

Trump and First Lady Melania Trump entered the UN through the delegates’ entrance at around 9:50 am (local time). As they stepped onto the main escalator to the second floor, the moving stairs jolted to a stop.

Trump appeared uncertain, while Trump climbed the stalled steps. The moment, captured on live video, quickly went viral.

Later, Trump referenced the incident in his speech: “All I got from the United Nations was a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter,” he quipped to laughter from the 193-member assembly.

Teleprompter troubles

Adding to the mishaps, the teleprompter briefly failed during his address. Trump joked that the operator was “in big trouble” and claimed it forced him to speak “more from the heart.”

“If the First Lady wasn't in great shape, she would have fallen. But she’s in great shape. We both stood,” he said.

At a later bilateral meeting with Secretary-General António Guterres, he added: “This was a little more exciting because of the escalator and the teleprompter. These things happen.”

Tense Trump–Melania moment caught

Fresh off the viral escalator moment, Trump and Melania were caught on camera in a tense discussion aboard their aircraft returning from New York. Zoomed-in footage showed animated gestures and a back-and-forth exchange, fuelling speculation about what was said.

UN explains technical glitch

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said the escalator stopped due to a built-in safety mechanism triggered by a White House videographer walking backward at the top.

“The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects from being caught in the gearing,” Dujarric said.

The escalator was quickly reset. Regarding the teleprompter, he added:“We have no comment since the teleprompter for the US president is operated by the White House.”

Trump later posted on Truth Social: “It was a great honor to speak before the United Nations. It is always an honor to speak at the United Nations, even if their equipment is somewhat faulty.”

Conspiracies and political reactions

Despite the UN explanation, speculation spread online. Some accused staff of deliberately sabotaging the escalator. Leavitt cited a Times of London report noting UN staff jokes about turning off escalators amid US funding cuts.

Fox News host Jesse Watters claimed: “They sabotaged him, and they could’ve hurt the First Lady.”

US Vice President JD Vance praised Trump’s composure: “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!”

UN machinery problems not unusual

Escalator stoppages at the UN are not uncommon due to budget constraints. Delayed payments from member states have forced periodic shutdowns of elevators and escalators in New York and Geneva to conserve electricity.

Trump repeatedly referenced both incidents as a metaphor for what he called an institution prone to breakdowns: “These are the two things I got from the United Nations — a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter,” he told delegates with a shrug.