White House says UN escalator incident aimed to humiliate Trump at UN address

The White House on Tuesday condemned what it described as a deliberate embarrassment of President Donald Trump when he and First Lady Melania Trump arrived at the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan, after an escalator failed to function as they stepped inside. Officials said UN security staff appeared to have turned off escalators, forcing the president to ascend the steps in view of world leaders gathering for the General Assembly.

The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, cited reporting from The Times to say UN staff had jokingly discussed turning off escalators and elevators in the building, and she said anyone responsible should be fired and investigated immediately. The post on X followed the incident and set the tone for a speech in which Trump would attack the UN and advocate a hard line on immigration.

Trump used the General Assembly address to criticize the United Nations, arguing that it funds an assault on Western borders by aiding migrants and that it should protect countries from invasions rather than finance them. He asserted that uncontrolled migration is the top issue of our time and told Western allies that their countries are being ruined by it, adding that Europe is in serious trouble and has been invaded by a force of illegal aliens.

“Europe is in serious trouble,” he said, citing London in particular as an example of what he described as the consequences of political correctness. He targeted London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, saying, “Now they want to go to Sharia law but you're in a different country, you can't do that,” before continuing to argue that the UN is failing to curb such trends.

The address opened without a teleprompter and wandered as Trump boasted about his first-term achievements, including efforts to end seven conflicts he said he brokered, and criticized the UN for not offering assistance. He claimed, without evidence, that he had ended seven wars and said the UN had offered “empty words” that do not solve war.

The president also criticized Western energy policy, urging allies to stop purchasing Russian oil and gas, and warning that sanctions should be imposed only if countries cut off purchases. He tied those remarks to broader calls for energy independence and American sovereignty, arguing that Western nations have compromised their strategic position by maintaining energy ties with Russia.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres used the opening of the summit to warn that aid cuts led by the United States were “wreaking havoc” around the world, asking delegates, “What kind of world will we choose? A world of raw power—or a world of laws?” The remarks framed the meeting as a clash between national sovereignty and multilateral diplomacy.

White House officials stressed that the escalator incident was separate from the president’s policy critiques, but the episode underscored what they described as a difficult relationship with international bodies perceived as failing to protect American interests. The Times reported that UN staff concerned had joked about disabling escalators or elevators to “teach Trump a lesson,” a claim that drew a swift condemnation from the White House.

London officials responded quickly to Trump’s comments about the British capital. A spokesperson for London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the city would not dignify his remarks, adding that London is “the greatest city in the world, safer than major US cities,” and that more U.S. citizens are moving there. The remarks highlighted the broader tension between Trump’s anti-immigration agenda and multilateral institutions.

Beyond the escalator episode and the speech, the president touched on ongoing conflicts and diplomacy around Ukraine, Gaza and Iran. He said Washington would press its allies to cut off Russian energy purchases and to keep pressure on Moscow while claiming missteps by the UN and other international actors had hampered peace efforts. Zelensky was expected to meet with Trump for a second time since their earlier Alaska summit, as the war in Ukraine continued to shape the international agenda at the General Assembly.

In short order, the incident at the UN escalator and Trump’s subsequent remarks reflected the broader pattern of his second term: a recalibration of U.S. participation in international institutions, a push for domestic priorities on immigration and borders, and an approach that critics say threatens global cooperation on security and humanitarian aid. The episode unfolded as policymakers and diplomats sought to align around the war in Ukraine, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the shifting energy landscape in Europe and America.