Trump mocks UN as escalator stalls and teleprompter fails at UN General Assembly

NEW YORK — President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday morning, only to face a pair of hiccups that underscored his criticisms of multilateral institutions. The couple walked into U.N. headquarters in Manhattan, and as Trump approached the podium the building’s escalator halted, followed moments later by a malfunctioning teleprompter that forced a pause before his remarks.

Trump later took the stage and leaned into the moment, quipping about the hardware glitches before launching into a broad indictment of the U.N. 'All I got from the United Nations was an escalator on the way up that stopped in the middle,' he said. 'If the first lady wasn’t in great shape, she would’ve fallen.' He pressed his broader grievance: that the United Nations has not helped with conflicts he says he has ended, declaring, 'I ended seven wars, dealt with leaders of each country, and never even received a call from the UN offering to help in finalizing the deal.'

Trump also tied the incident to a longer critique of global institutions, saying the United Nations 'wasn’t there for us' and wondering aloud, 'what is the purpose of the UN? It’s not even coming close to living up to that potential.' The moment fed into his broader message that American interests should take precedence over multilateral efforts he has long viewed as burdensome or ineffective.

Trump also revived a long-running line about the U.N. complex’s renovation: 'Many years ago, a very successful real estate developer in New York known as Donald J. Trump, I bid on the renovation and rebuilding of this very United Nations complex.' He said he would have done it for $500 million, but the project went another direction and produced a 'far inferior product' according to him. He argued that cost overruns persisted and that 'they still haven’t finished the job,' tying the remarks to his critique of big multinational projects as examples of mismanagement.

White House aides framed the speech as a rebuke of 'globalists' and a push to renew American strength. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president would 'take the globalists to task' and lay out a 'straightforward and constructive vision for the world' as part of a broader reframing of U.S. foreign policy. The remarks fit his longstanding 'America First' approach, which supporters say emphasizes sovereignty and a need to reexamine engagement with global institutions.

Within days of the General Assembly, the administration moved on diplomacy surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The State Department revoked a visa for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, and his delegation due to national-security concerns, while Abbas prepared a pre-recorded address to the gathering. France and other allies signaled support for Palestinian statehood in a shift that aligns with a European push toward a two-state solution to Gaza.

Trump’s appearance at the UN has not always gone smoothly. In 2018, his General Assembly address drew laughter as he proclaimed that his administration had accomplished more than almost any administration in history; he later said the crowd was not laughing at him but with him.

The confirmation of Michael Waltz as U.N. ambassador last week, after a lengthy confirmation process, completed a staffing shakeup in Washington’s U.N. mission and reflected the administration’s preference for officials aligned with its America First posture. Previously, nominations such as Elise Stefanik’s were contested amid broader debates about how aggressively to push reforms at multilateral bodies.

Analysts say the episode highlights a broader U.S.-U.N. dynamic: Washington seeks to assert national sovereignty and press reforms at multilateral bodies while trying to avoid rupturing essential diplomacy on Gaza and other crises. The public moment at the General Assembly underscores the challenge for any U.S. administration to balance a confrontational posture toward international institutions with the need for coordinated action on global security and humanitarian crises.