Fox's Watters calls for bombing United Nations after escalator failure during Trump appearance

Fox News host Jesse Watters sparked controversy Tuesday on The Five by suggesting the United Nations should be bombed after an escalator carrying President Donald Trump and the first lady Melania Trump malfunctioned at the UN's New York headquarters. Watters described the incident as an 'insurrection' on air and pressed for a drastic response, telling viewers, 'This is an insurrection. And what we need to do is either leave the UN or we need to bomb it.'

Co-host Dana Perino pushed back, asking for caution as Watters pressed his point. 'It is in New York, though, right? There can be some fallout there. Alright. Maybe gas it?' Watters continued. 'Let's not do that,' Perino replied. 'But we need to destroy it,' Watters added. The discussion followed footage on The Five showing Trump and the first lady aboard the escalator during the UN appearance.

Trump demanded an investigation into the stopped escalator on Wednesday. The day before, a UN spokesperson sought to explain what happened in a statement. 'The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing,' it read. An anonymous source told ABC News the teleprompter that cut off during Trump's speech was being operated by someone from the White House and not a member of UN staff.

Watters' remarks followed comments from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who during an appearance on Jesse Watters Primetime asserted that 'UN globalist staffers were basically plotting to set up the president of the United States.' She also took to X to share a Times article that appeared to suggest staffers could have been in on the incident. 'To mark Trump’s arrival, UN staff members have joked that they may turn off the escalators and elevators and simply tell him they ran out of money, so he has to walk up the stairs,' it read. During his speech, Trump asked, 'what is the purpose of the UN?' 'These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter,' he added.

Social media users were quick to point out Watters' extreme comments, with several calling for his removal or firing, while others expressed outrage over what they saw as a threat from the Fox News host. The remarks come amid ongoing scrutiny of how political figures and media personalities discuss international institutions, particularly at moments when U.S.-global relations are under debate. Critics urged audiences to contextualize the incident within a broader conversation about responsibility in public rhetoric and the safety protocols that govern high-profile events at international organizations.