Technical Glitches or Targeted Acts? Trump Demands Probe Into UN Incidents

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday alleged that he was targeted by three deliberate disruptions during his visit to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, prompting the U.S. Secret Service to open an investigation.

Trump claimed that an escalator carrying him and his aides came to a sudden stop, that his teleprompter failed during his speech, and that sound problems prevented many in the hall from hearing him. He described the incidents as "triple sabotage" and urged the UN to preserve surveillance footage related to the escalator stoppage.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric dismissed the suggestion of foul play, saying a U.S. delegation videographer may have accidentally pressed the emergency stop button. A UN official also noted that the White House, not the UN, managed the teleprompter for Trump's address.

Technical issues, including elevator and escalator malfunctions, are not uncommon at the UN, which has recently faced financial strain and occasional service cutbacks.

Trump's UN address itself included sharp criticism of the institution and of European allies, whom he accused of mishandling the war in Ukraine and immigration. He warned that some countries were "going to hell."

The investigation is expected to determine whether the incidents were routine malfunctions or security lapses.