President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that he was the victim of a “triple sabotage” at the United Nations a day earlier, where an escalator, teleprompter, and microphone all failed to work for him. In a post on social media, Trump wrote, “A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday — Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!” He added, “This wasn’t a coincidence, this was triple sabotage at the UN.” Trump said he was sending his post to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to demand an investigation.
Trump described the escalator incident in detail, saying it “came to a screeching halt” as he and First Lady Melania Trump were boarding it, and that it was a disaster they avoided only by holding the handrail tightly. He demanded that all security tapes be saved, especially the footage of the emergency stop button, and noted that the Secret Service is involved. A UN official, however, told the Associated Press on Tuesday that a person traveling with Trump had inadvertently hit the stop lever on the escalator. Trump’s post on Wednesday also referenced a British newspaper report that UN employees had “joked about turning off an escalator” before his appearance.
The Failed Teleprompter and Microphone
Trump’s troubles continued during his speech. He noted that his teleprompter did not work for the first portion of his address, forcing him to read from paper for 15 minutes. “The good news is the Speech has gotten fantastic reviews,” he wrote. “Maybe they appreciated the fact that very few people could have done what I did.”
But unfortunately, for some people in the room, the president noted, “after making the Speech, I was told that the sound was completely off in the Auditorium where the Speech was made.” He wrote that world leaders “couldn’t hear a thing” unless they were using interpreters’ earpieces. He later recounted a conversation with the First Lady, who was in the front row, telling her, “I couldn’t hear a word you said.”
UN Responds to Call for Investigation
In a statement late Wednesday, Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for Secretary-General Guterres, confirmed that the Secretary-General had received correspondence from the U.S. Permanent Mission to the United Nations regarding the incidents. Dujarric said that the Secretary-General had already ordered a “thorough investigation” and that the UN is ready to cooperate with “relevant US authorities” to determine what caused the incidents. Trump concluded his post by writing, “No wonder the United Nations hasn’t been able to do the job that they were put in existence to do.”
Author’s Opinion
President Trump’s framing of these events as a “triple sabotage” is a classic example of his political narrative-building. By taking a series of seemingly mundane technical failures and transforming them into a sinister plot against him, he is able to both portray himself as a victim and simultaneously praise his own resilience. This approach, which is often used for his political base, is a powerful way to turn minor inconveniences into a larger story of persecution and triumph, reinforcing a core aspect of his political brand. The UN’s willingness to investigate, regardless of the cause, shows the immense pressure a global body faces when dealing with the highest levels of political theater.
Featured image credit: Trump White House Archived via Flickr
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