UN General Assembly: Trump Alleges “Triple Sabotage”; UN Confirms Probe

U.S. President Donald Trump accused United Nations staff of orchestrating “triple sabotage” during his Sept. 23 visit to UN headquarters in New York and demanded arrests and an investigation.

According to Trump’s account, the first incident occurred on arrival, when an escalator “came to a screeching halt,” forcing him and First Lady Melania Trump to walk up the disabled machine. The White House had earlier cited a report in The Times suggesting UN staffers joked about shutting off escalators and elevators before his arrival. In its response, the UN said the escalator’s emergency safety mechanism was most likely triggered by the president’s videographer, who rushed ahead to film.

At the start of Trump’s General Assembly address—scheduled for 15 minutes but lasting about an hour—his teleprompter “wasn’t working.” The UN stated the White House, not UN staff, is responsible for operating the president’s teleprompter.

The third allegation concerned audio in the General Assembly hall. Trump said he was told the sound “was completely off in the Auditorium,” claiming world leaders could not hear unless they used interpreters’ earpieces. He recounted asking the First Lady about the speech and said she replied, “I couldn’t hear a word you said.” Trump also demanded security footage of the escalator area and said the U.S. Secret Service had opened an investigation.

In a Truth Social post, Trump called the three “very sinister events” a “disgrace,” writing: “First, the escalator going up to the Main Speaking Floor came to a screeching halt… Then… my teleprompter didn’t work… After making the Speech, I was told that the sound was completely off in the Auditorium… This wasn’t a coincidence, this was triple sabotage at the UN.”

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres, confirmed receipt of a U.S. letter and said the Secretary-General had “already ordered a thorough investigation” and would cooperate fully with U.S. authorities.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz called the incidents a “series of outrageous failures,” sought findings on the escalator and teleprompter issues, and said Portuguese interpretation “compromised” the speech’s delivery.

Trump’s address sharply criticized European immigration policies and asserted, without evidence, that London was introducing Sharia law; he also called climate change a hoax.