Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz responded to a post online by
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt
that called for the person responsible at the UN for the faulty escalator to be fired or investigated.
“Not only do they need to be fired, they need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,”
on Tuesday. “It’s a miracle the President ever made it up the stairs.”
Not only do they need to be fired, they need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. It’s a miracle the President ever made it up the stairs. https://t.co/wqJE9FAYyC
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) September 24, 2025
The United Nations said Trump’s videographer could have unintentionally triggered a safety function that led to the escalator abruptly coming to a stop as Trump and Melania stepped on it.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General
said in a statement, “In an effort to document their arrival, a videographer from the US delegation stepped on to the escalator ahead of the President and First Lady. As the videographer, who was traveling backwards up the escalator reached the top, the First Lady, followed by President Trump, each mounted the steps at the bottom.”
The escalator came to a stop soon after, at 9:50 am, Dujarric added.
“Our technician, who was at the location, reset the escalator as soon as the delegation had climbed up to the second floor. 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 UN spokesman said.
This safety mechanism — of the escalator stopping — helps prevents people and things from getting accidentally stuck or pulled in, the statement notes. “The videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function described above,” Dujarric concluded.
When Trump and the First lady arrived at the United Nations, the escalator that led them up to the General Assembly stopped, jolting her and the president, who was behind her, to a halt before they steadied themselves and continued climbing up the metal steps… pic.twitter.com/2mLe9mMvb0
— Bloomberg (@business) September 23, 2025
As Trump walked up to the podium at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, he joked about having to speak “from the heart” due to a teleprompter malfunction. He also said he faced an escalator mishap when he was with First Lady Melania Trump that morning.
Later in the afternoon after Trump’s speech concluded, White House press secretary
, “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 also said on Jesse Watters Primetime show that the U.S. Secret Service is looking into the matter,
reports.
As for the teleprompter mishap, Trump told the crowd of world leaders gathered in New York, “I don’t mind making the speech without a teleprompter, because the teleprompter is not working.”
He said, “I feel very happy to be up here with you nevertheless — and that way you speak more from the heart. I can only say that whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.”
The crowd burst into laughter.
He then continued reading his speech on paper.
, there is a 15-minute “voluntary time limit for each speech” to cater to the more than 193 speakers over the six-day event; however, it is “rarely” adhered to. Trump’s speech was nearly one hour long.
Minutes in, he spoke about wars that he brought to an end.
“I ended seven wars…It’s too bad I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them,” calling out the UN for not offering to help. Then he made light of a situation that he faced earlier with his wife at UN headquarters earlier on Tuesday.
“All I got from the UN was an escalator that on the way up, stopped right in the middle. If the First Lady wasn’t in great shape, she would have fallen, but she’s in great shape. We’re both in good shape. We both stood. And then a teleprompter that didn’t work. These are the two things that I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter.”
Videos
show the couple walking into the building, toward the escalator. Trump motions for Melania to go first. Seconds after they take a step onto it, the escalator stops. Melania starts walking up the stalled escalator and Trump follows.
“And by the way, it’s working now,” Trump told the crowd, about the teleprompter as he continued his speech. “It just went on.”
Trump will take part in meetings throughout the day in New York before returning to the White House on Tuesday night.
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
’Not only do they need to be fired, they need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,’ Walz said in response to Karoline Leavitt’s post
‘Not only do they need to be fired, they need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,’ Walz said in response to Karoline Leavitt’s post
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz responded to a post online by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt that called for the person responsible at the UN for the faulty escalator to be fired or investigated.
“Not only do they need to be fired, they need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Walz said on X on Tuesday. “It’s a miracle the President ever made it up the stairs.”
Story continues below
Story continues below
The United Nations said Trump’s videographer could have unintentionally triggered a safety function that led to the escalator abruptly coming to a stop as Trump and Melania stepped on it.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General said in a statement, “In an effort to document their arrival, a videographer from the US delegation stepped on to the escalator ahead of the President and First Lady. As the videographer, who was traveling backwards up the escalator reached the top, the First Lady, followed by President Trump, each mounted the steps at the bottom.”
The escalator came to a stop soon after, at 9:50 am, Dujarric added.
“Our technician, who was at the location, reset the escalator as soon as the delegation had climbed up to the second floor. 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 UN spokesman said.
This safety mechanism — of the escalator stopping — helps prevents people and things from getting accidentally stuck or pulled in, the statement notes. “The videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function described above,” Dujarric concluded.
Story continues below
As Trump walked up to the podium at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, he joked about having to speak “from the heart” due to a teleprompter malfunction. He also said he faced an escalator mishap when he was with First Lady Melania Trump that morning.
Later in the afternoon after Trump’s speech concluded, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “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 also said on Jesse Watters Primetime show that the U.S. Secret Service is looking into the matter, Fox News reports.
As for the teleprompter mishap, Trump told the crowd of world leaders gathered in New York, “I don’t mind making the speech without a teleprompter, because the teleprompter is not working.”
He said, “I feel very happy to be up here with you nevertheless — and that way you speak more from the heart. I can only say that whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.”
Story continues below
The crowd burst into laughter.
He then continued reading his speech on paper. According to the UN, there is a 15-minute “voluntary time limit for each speech” to cater to the more than 193 speakers over the six-day event; however, it is “rarely” adhered to. Trump’s speech was nearly one hour long.
Minutes in, he spoke about wars that he brought to an end.
“I ended seven wars…It’s too bad I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them,” calling out the UN for not offering to help. Then he made light of a situation that he faced earlier with his wife at UN headquarters earlier on Tuesday.
“All I got from the UN was an escalator that on the way up, stopped right in the middle. If the First Lady wasn’t in great shape, she would have fallen, but she’s in great shape. We’re both in good shape. We both stood. And then a teleprompter that didn’t work. These are the two things that I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter.”
Videos posted online show the couple walking into the building, toward the escalator. Trump motions for Melania to go first. Seconds after they take a step onto it, the escalator stops. Melania starts walking up the stalled escalator and Trump follows.
Story continues below
“And by the way, it’s working now,” Trump told the crowd, about the teleprompter as he continued his speech. “It just went on.”
Trump will take part in meetings throughout the day in New York before returning to the White House on Tuesday night.
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.