Trump announces investigation into 'sinister' escalator incident

Donald Trump has claimed his appearance at the United Nations was marred by three acts of "sabotage".

The US president alleged an escalator had malfunctioned as he was travelling up it with the first lady, Melania, that a teleprompter had failed to work, and that world leaders couldn't hear his speech. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said an escalator carrying him and his wife "came to a screeching halt" on the way to the main floor and nearly caused them to fall "onto the sharp edges of these steel steps, face first".

"This was absolutely sabotage," he claimed, as he called for the arrest of those responsible. He also said his teleprompter did not work at the start of his speech and world leaders could not hear him because the sound system failed.

"Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!" Mr Trump wrote. "This wasn't a coincidence, this was triple sabotage at the UN.

They ought to be ashamed of themselves." He also said he had asked the UN to preserve security camera footage and demanded an investigation, adding that the Secret Service was involved in looking into the escalator incident. Mr Trump complained about both the escalator and the teleprompter during his speech to the UN on Tuesday.

UN officials have said the escalator's built-in safety mechanism had been triggered and the teleprompter was operated by the White House rather than the organisation. Analysis: Trump makes full-throttle assault on UN On Monday, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said a readout of the escalator's central processing unit indicated it "had stopped after a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step was triggered at the top of the escalator".

He said Mr Trump's videographer had been travelling backward up the escalator to capture his arrival with the first lady and "may have inadvertently triggered the safety function". A UN official told Reuters the sound system had been designed to allow people at their seats to hear speeches being translated into six different languages through their earpieces..