Unusual Incidents at the U.N. Spark Controversy
At the United Nations headquarters in New York City, the President found himself amidst a few technical glitches. An escalator stopped suddenly, and a teleprompter failed to operate correctly. These unexpected incidents led to a flurry of speculations and accusations, with the U.N. pointing a finger at the President's camera crew.
Mishaps at the U.N. Headquarters
As soon as the President and the First Lady made their entry into the U.N. headquarters to address international leaders at the annual General Assembly session, an unexpected incident occurred. The escalator they were on abruptly stopped, forcing both to continue their ascent on foot. The incident was caught on camera.
Later, while delivering his speech at the General Assembly, the President noted that his teleprompter was not functioning. He humorously commented that the person responsible for operating the teleprompter would be in hot water, which elicited laughter from the audience.
He revisited these unfortunate incidents in his speech, using them as metaphors to criticize what he perceives as the U.N.'s inefficiency. He sarcastically thanked the U.N. for presenting him with a malfunctioning escalator and a faulty teleprompter.
White House Response
The White House Press Secretary suggested a different theory for these mishaps. In a post, she speculated that if someone at the U.N. deliberately halted the escalator while the President and the First Lady were on it, they should be immediately fired and investigated. She shared a snippet from an article that implied U.N. staff had joked about intentionally shutting down the escalators during the President's visit and blaming it on budget shortages. However, there is no concrete proof to support these claims.
She further stated that the Secret Service was investigating these incidents. She expressed her suspicion about the coincidental nature of these events and warned that if any U.N. staff were found to be deliberately causing these incidents, they should be held accountable.
U.N.'s Side of the Story
However, the U.N. provided a different explanation. A U.N. spokesperson suggested that the escalator stopped due to a safety mechanism activated by a videographer from the U.S. delegation who was walking ahead of the President and the First Lady. The safety feature is designed to prevent people or objects from getting trapped or pulled into the escalator's gears. The spokesperson speculated that the videographer might have unintentionally triggered this safety function.
In addition, a U.N. official informed that the teleprompter during the President's speech was operated by the White House when it malfunctioned.
A federal law enforcement source confirmed that the Secret Service was looking into these incidents.
President's Remarks on the U.N.
During his speech, the President criticized the U.N., stating that while the organization has tremendous potential, it falls short of realizing it. This statement comes as his administration distances itself from the U.N., pulling the U.S. out of bodies like the Human Rights Council and the World Health Organization and reducing its financial contributions to the U.N.