The secret service has quietly launched an investigation after a tumultuous appearance by Donald Trump at the United Nations left him fuming and demanding answers. According to Trump, a sequence of technical failures wasn’t random — it was sabotage.
On Wednesday, Trump accused the U.N. of orchestrating a “triple sabotage” during his arrival and speech. He said the escalator carrying him and his wife Melania suddenly halted, nearly causing them to stumble. The teleprompter for his address went dark for much of his speech. And, he claimed, the sound system failed to convey his message to delegates, save for translator earpieces. He insisted these were not coincidences. The Secret Service, he said, is now involved in digging deeper.
U.N. officials responded with alternative explanations almost immediately. A spokesperson said the escalator’s safety mechanism had tripped when a videographer — walking backwards to film Trump’s entry — inadvertently triggered it. The escalator, they said, had not been intentionally shut down. As for the teleprompter, the U.N. noted it was operated by the White House, not its own staff. Regarding sound issues, they reminded that delegates often hear speeches through multi-language interpreter earpieces, making in-room acoustics less relevant
Trump, however, rejected that narrative. He demanded that the U.N. preserve every piece of security footage. He called for arrests and said whoever was responsible should be held to account. His post on Truth Social left little room for ambiguity — he alleged the U.N. had “sabotaged” not one, but three crucial systems.
Inside the U.N., eyes widened at the spectacle. Budget constraints have lately led to intermittent shutdown of escalators and elevators, even in headquarters. Some visitors already raise eyebrows at frequent mechanical glitches. But Trump’s forceful framing turned a routine malfunction into a full-blown confrontation.
Diplomatic tensions are quietly rising. U.N. officials insist there’s no link between staff and the disruptions. Trump insists otherwise. The Secret Service now faces pressure to determine if there’s substance to the claims — intentional tampering or merely tragic timing.
For many watching, the question is whether this is theater or evidence-backed retaliation. Trump has built his presidency on combative stances toward international institutions, and this moment, real or not, plays directly into that narrative.
At the moment, there is no public confirmation that the sabotage claims will lead to criminal charges. The U.N. has not committed to fully cooperating with a criminal probe. The Secret Service’s role remains under close scrutiny. But one thing is clear: Trump left that stage angrier than ever, putting the U.N. on full alert and forcing new scrutiny on what happens behind the scenes at one of the world’s most visible institutions.
Source: AP News
