NYC bomb threat prompts Trump to leave UN area amid suspicious suitcase scare
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: President Donald Trump was safely escorted from the United Nations by motorcade as an NYPD bomb squad investigated a suspicious suitcase found nearby in Manhattan.
The suitcase was discovered shortly before 3 pm on Tuesday, September 22, near East 43rd Street and Third Avenue, close to the Chrysler Building and about two avenues from the UN headquarters. The incident came as New York was under heightened security for the United Nations General Assembly.
BREAKING: Bomb Squad on scene on 42nd and 3rd Avenue close to the UN, after a suspicious suitcase was discovered abandoned. Police announce that Potus is in a motorcade at this time. pic.twitter.com/8abmrZctUW
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) September 22, 2026
Security response unfolds near Trump’s UN motorcade
An NYPD canine unit detected something inside the suitcase, prompting the department’s Bomb Squad and Emergency Services Unit to respond.
Other federal agencies were also reportedly in the area as security was tightened for events linked to the UN General Assembly.
The NYPD closed several roads while officers examined the package. In an alert posted on X, the department said, “Due to a suspicious package, 42nd Street through 44th Street is closed between 2nd Avenue and Lexington Avenue. Please avoid the area.”
UPDATE: Due to a suspicious package, 42nd Street through 44th Street is closed between 2nd Avenue and Lexington Avenue.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) September 22, 2026
Please avoid the area. https://t.co/EbAzGjjVPl
Nearby employees and residents were reportedly told to stay away from building windows while authorities investigated the suitcase.
At the time, Trump was in the area for the UN General Assembly. Police said the president was in a motorcade, and he was later safely escorted out of the United Nations by motorcade.
Chrysler Building evacuated during suspicious suitcase investigation
The suspicious package also led to a temporary evacuation of the Chrysler Building as a precaution while authorities worked to determine whether the suitcase posed any danger.
The building sits close to the location where the suitcase was found, bringing another major disruption to the area as police and emergency crews responded.
The investigation lasted for about 90 minutes. Authorities eventually determined that the package did not pose a threat and cleared the suitcase.
UPDATE: The package has been cleared and deemed to not be suspicious.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) September 22, 2026
43rd Street between 3rd Avenue and Lexington Avenue remains closed.
Some road closures remained temporarily while crews worked to reopen the area.
No injuries were reported, and officials did not identify an actual threat.
UN General Assembly brings world leaders to New York
The incident unfolded during the high-level week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, when New York was hosting nearly 130 heads of state and government.
Trump was among the leaders taking part in this year's General Debate. Other leaders listed as participants included Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Jordan's King Abdullah II, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda were also among the leaders taking part.
With so many world leaders in New York for the General Assembly, security remained heightened across the area.
