U.S. President Donald Trump has alleged that his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday was marred by what he called “three very sinister events” — technical disruptions he claims were the result of coordinated sabotage.
AP reported today that in a post on his Truth Social platform, the former US president claimed that a sudden halt on an escalator, the failure of his teleprompter, and a malfunction in the General Assembly's sound system were “absolutely sabotage”, and urged that “the people that did it should be arrested”.
Trump stated that the Secret Service would be investigating the matter and demanded the UN preserve security tapes of the incidents, particularly involving the escalator, which stopped abruptly as Trump and his entourage ascended to the assembly floor.
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the stop may have been “inadvertently” triggered by a videographer from the US delegation who rushed ahead and accidentally activated the emergency mechanism.
Trump also complained that his teleprompter “went stone cold dark” during his speech — an issue that a UN official, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted falls under the responsibility of the White House, not the United Nations.
In a third grievance, Trump said audio in the hall was non-functional and that only those using interpretation earpieces could hear his address. “Melania said she couldn’t hear what I said,” he claimed.
“This wasn’t a coincidence. This was triple sabotage,” he wrote.
Trump’s address included blistering criticisms of the UN, which he accused of having “squandered its potential”, and strong rebukes of US allies in Europe over immigration and Ukraine. He told world leaders their countries were “going to hell.”
UN sources have since downplayed the incidents. Escalators and lifts at the organisation’s New York and Geneva offices have faced intermittent outages in recent months due to cost-saving measures amidst what UN officials describe as a “liquidity crisis” — exacerbated by delays in contributions from top donors, including the United States.
While no official confirmation of a Secret Service investigation has been issued, Trump’s comments suggest the matter will be formally pursued by his security team.
Trump–Sharif Meeting to Follow UN Drama
Meanwhile, Trump’s allegations come as he prepares for a bilateral meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the White House on Thursday, according to US officials speaking to Reuters.
Reuters reported on Thursday that the meeting follows a July trade deal between Washington and Islamabad, which included a 19% tariff rate imposed by the US. The agreement marks a shift in bilateral ties, long overshadowed by US preference for India as a strategic counterweight to China in Asia.
A senior State Department official confirmed ongoing talks with Pakistan across security and trade fronts. “The president remains focused on advancing US interests in the region,” the official said, noting the warming ties with Islamabad.
Earlier this year, Trump hosted Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, in a high-profile visit unaccompanied by Pakistani civilian leadership — a rare move seen by analysts as a signal of Washington’s shifting priorities.
Meanwhile, relations between Washington and New Delhi remain strained, with Trump reportedly frustrated by stalled trade talks and India’s position on regional conflicts. Nonetheless, US officials reiterated that the India–US partnership remains “one of the defining relationships of the 21st century”.
Plans are reportedly underway for a delayed summit of the Quad alliance — involving India, the US, Australia and Japan — expected to be held by early next year.
During the UN General Assembly, Trump also met with leaders of several Muslim-majority countries to discuss the crisis in Gaza, where he shared peace proposals amidst widespread condemnation of Israeli airstrikes.
Pakistan has publicly backed Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in diffusing recent tensions with India, though Islamabad continues to criticise US support for Israel. - September 25, 2025
