3 weeks ago
Last Updated:September 24, 2025, 13:27 IST
An escalator at the UN stopped suddenly as Donald Trump and Melania Trump stepped on it. They both later climbed the stairs up. Videos of the incident have gone viral.
Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump ride an escalator as they arrive to attend the 80th United Nations General Assembly, in New York City, New York, US (Photo: Reuters)
An escalator at the United Nations abruptly stopped shortly as US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump stepped onto it on Tuesday.
Videos of the incident, widely shared on social media, showed Donald Trump and Melania Trump walking towards the escalator. It stopped the moment they stepped onto it.
Donald Trump and Melania Trump suffered a brief jolt as the escalator stopped functioning. Later, they steadied themselves and continued climbing up the metal steps.
As the incident drew much media attention, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt demanded an investigation and said that if this was done intentionally, those behind the same should be fired.
In an X post, Leavitt cited a report in the Times of London, which, on Sunday, suggested that the staff members at the United Nations had joked that they would turn off the escalators and “tell him they ran out of money" amid sweeping US funding cuts.
“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," Leavitt wrote on X.
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.The Times reported this on Sunday.👇 pic.twitter.com/NitsWbGYG0
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) September 23, 2025
THE UNITED NATIONS’ CLARIFICATION
Reacting to the incident, the United Nations said it believes the mystery behind the malfunction may have been solved.
According to the United Nations, the videographer may have accidentally triggered a safety mechanism. Reuters quoted UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric as saying that a readout of the escalator’s central processing unit indicated it “had stopped after a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step was triggered at the top of the escalator."
He said Trump’s videographer had been travelling backwards up the escalator to capture his arrival with First Lady Melania Trump.
“The videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function," Dujarric said in a statement.
“The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects from accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing," he said.
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
First Published:
September 24, 2025, 13:23 IST
News world Escalator At UN Stops As Donald Trump, Melania Step On It; White House Demands Probe
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