Trump says he was the victim of 'triple sabotage' at the UN; Secret Service to investigate

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was the victim of "three very sinister events" during his time at the United Nations on Tuesday, and that the Secret Service will be looking into the issues. He was at the U.N. General Assembly, where he delivered a speech excoriating the institution for squandering its potential and took aim at European allies over their handling of the Russian war in Ukraine and their acceptance of immigrants, telling fellow world leaders that their nations were "going to hell."

Trump described the first incident as the escalator coming to a "screeching halt" with him and his entourage on it, an event he called "absolutely sabotage." Stephane Dujarric, the U.N. spokesman, said a videographer from the U.S. delegation who ran ahead of Trump may have inadvertently triggered the stop mechanism at the top of the escalator.

Second, Trump said his teleprompter went "stone cold dark" during his address to the U.N. The problem with that accusation is the White House was responsible for operating the teleprompter for the president, according to a UN official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Third, Trump said that the sound was off at the U.N. as he spoke and that people could only hear his remarks if they had interpreters speaking into earpieces. Trump said his wife, Melania, told him she couldn’t hear what he said. "This wasn’t a coincidence, this was triple sabotage," he said, adding that he would seek an investigation.

Trump told the U.N. to preserve security tapes regarding the escalator stoppage as the Secret Service would be involved in the inquiry. The episode comes amid longstanding questions about logistics at the U.N. complex in New York, including occasional escalator and elevator outages that staff and visitors say can interrupt events. U.N. officials have previously noted that escalators at the headquarters are not immune to malfunctions, and observers have pointed to broader financial pressures at the world body.

Analysts note that U.S. funding delays have contributed to a liquidity crunch at the U.N., which relies on member-state contributions to cover operating costs. The United States remains the largest donor, but payment timetables and arrears in recent years have affected the organization’s ability to fund programs and infrastructure.

Trump’s remarks at the General Assembly arrived amid a broader pattern of the former president using international forums to frame U.S. domestic and foreign policy battles as moral expeditions. His critique of European allies over the Ukraine war and immigration policies echoed his past stance on alliance burden-sharing and border control, themes that have characterized his political messaging for years. While the White House has not publicly commented on the alleged incidents, Trump’s account continues to circulate on his social media platform and in conservative commentary, where supporters have seized on the claims as evidence of perceived bias against him.

As the Secret Service weighs the assertions, investigators will examine security footage and timeline details surrounding the escalator incident, the teleprompter operation, and audio systems. The outcome could influence how Trump’s interactions with international institutions are viewed going into the 2026 election cycle, where his position as a leading candidate keeps him in the public eye during high-profile diplomatic events.