Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has urged UN officials to look into whether the escalators at their headquarters were obstructed on purpose as President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived on Tuesday morning.
“If someone at the UN deliberately halts the escalator while the president and first lady are present, they will face serious consequences,” she mentioned in a post on X.
Leavitt’s comments followed reports from London indicating that staff had humorously suggested they might stop the escalator to prompt Trump into giving a speech as he walked.
Meanwhile, a UN spokesperson, Farhan Aziz Hak, stated that a safety mechanism had unintentionally been triggered by someone ahead of the presidential party.
“The escalator will be reset immediately and it will be operational again,” he added.
Video footage captured the moment the escalator stopped functioning as Trump entered the building, with Melania, in high heels, momentarily caught off guard.
Even though other escalators were still in service, the couple opted for the still stairs.
Reports suggest that some UN staff had considered the idea of deliberately stalling the escalators. “One thought circulating was to stop the escalator and lift, just to make a point to Trump,” they noted.
This incident occurred on the day of the 80th UN General Assembly session in New York City, where Trump had been addressing various issues, including substantial UN funding cuts since he took office in January.
He stated in his speech that he aims to “end seven wars,” and remarked that if the First Lady hadn’t been in peak condition, she might have struggled.
Concerns were raised by at least one former Secret Service agent regarding the response to the incident. “It’s straightforward; you simply can’t stand there,” said former agent Rich Starpoli.
Starpoli emphasized that security protocols should ensure the president and first lady are kept as closely guarded as possible, referencing past threats faced by Trump.
The Secret Service has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the situation.
