UNGA incident: Trump administration staffer assaulted, White House says “deranged leftist” responsible

A Department of Health and Human Services official was physically assaulted inside United Nations headquarters on Thursday afternoon during the UN General Assembly gathering.

The HHS official, who works in international relations, was in New York City providing support for HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and department leadership during the UNGA sessions. The incident occurred when an individual followed the official into a bathroom, recorded her, and physically assaulted her while making verbal threats.

Anna Kelly, the White House’s deputy press secretary, reported that an HHS official was followed into a UN restroom and subjected to filming, physical aggression, and verbal abuse by a leftist activist who managed to slip through security. “The official is safe and the individual was arrested,” she stated, “but this reflects a disturbing breakdown by the UN following their sabotage of President Trump leading up to and during his speech.”

According to the official’s account, the incident began when a woman started berating her and shining a bright light in her face while walking down a UN hallway. The woman called the official a “fascist” and a “Nazi” while making pro-Palestinian comments and following her closely.

The official attempted to escape by entering a women’s bathroom, but the assailant continued following her. The woman pushed against a bathroom stall door where the official had taken refuge and placed a camera over the stall door to continue filming while screaming. The confrontation continued when the official left the stall, with the woman waiting at the door and following her back into the hallway while continuing to yell and shine lights in her face.

The entire incident lasted approximately 10 minutes before the official was able to get away.

The assailant has been charged with assault, aggravated harassment, attempted assault, and criminal possession of a weapon, according to a source familiar with the matter. The individual was released from custody at 7:30 p.m. Friday night and is scheduled to appear in court on November 13.

The U.S. Secret Service will investigate how the individual gained access to the UN facility during a major national security event, according to Kelly.

A spokesperson for the U.S. at the United Nations condemned the September 25 assault on a member of the U.S. delegation inside UN Headquarters, insisting the incident be addressed without delay and that penalties follow.

The spokesperson criticized the UN’s security operations, saying: “If you can’t keep people safe in your own building, how can you claim to be the world’s diplomatic center?” The United Nations has pledged to use all available resources to support the Secret Service investigation and implement a thorough review of security operations.

The HHS official described the incident as “very political in nature” and noted concerns about threats extending beyond Secretary Kennedy to his staff members.