Leavitt Calls for Firing and Investigation if UN Escalator Incident Involving Trump Was Intentional

WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called for the firing and investigation of those responsible for a stalled escalator that carried President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

Leavitt said in a post on X that if someone at the United Nations intentionally stopped the escalator as the president and first lady stepped on, they should be fired and investigated immediately. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House, the U.N. and the U.S. Secret Service for comment.

The escalator malfunction occurred before Trump addressed the General Assembly. The president and first lady were forced to walk up the stalled escalator as cameras rolled to capture the moment. A separate technical hiccup also disrupted the scene: a teleprompter froze, prompting Trump to improvise his remarks. “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 wrote on X. The teleprompter resumed a few minutes into his address. Trump later quipped about the day’s mishaps, telling world leaders that the teleprompter was “in big trouble.”

During the speech, Trump 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,” drawing laughs from the audience. He then noted that he had “ended seven wars, dealt with the leaders of these countries and never even received a phone call from the United Nations offering to help in finalizing the deal.” He added, “All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up stopped right in the middle.” The moment also produced a light moment for the first lady, who remained standing as the couple continued their ascent.

The White House did not immediately confirm Leavitt’s claim. Fox News Digital contacted the White House, the United Nations and the U.S. Secret Service for comment, but there was no immediate public confirmation from those agencies about the escalator incident or any investigation.

The day’s disruptions came as Trump delivered remarks before the 80th United Nations General Assembly, where he aimed to cast the U.N. as a vehicle for peace through American leadership while taking aim at its institutions and perceived inefficiencies. The escalator and teleprompter glitches provided a rare breach in decorum that underscored the logistical challenges that can attend high-profile appearances at the United Nations. The incident also fed into a broader narrative around Trump’s public persona on the world stage, where spontaneity and blunt phrasing often dominate scripted appearances.

The White House’s response to Leavitt’s call for punishment was not immediately clear. The absence of an on-record statement from the White House or the U.N. about the escalator or the alleged intentional obstruction leaves the claim unconfirmed publicly, at least in official channels cited by Fox News Digital. Still, the incident has become part of a broader narrative about how personal, mechanical and procedural hiccups can intersect with political messaging on the global stage.

Trump’s remarks at the UNGA have been described as populist and combative, emphasizing American sovereignty and foreign policy recalibration. The unpredictable moments—like the stalled escalator and the frozen teleprompter—have the potential to amplify defensive framing around the administration’s leadership and resilience in the face of logistical setbacks. While officials insist the UN session is about policy, the visual and audio glitches drew extraordinary attention and offered a moment for public reaction to the president’s performance under pressure.

As officials assess the events, observers will likely scrutinize security protocols and contingency planning for future international appearances. The UNGA schedule remains dense with world leaders and high-stakes diplomacy, where even minor missteps can become focal points in the political narrative.