Secret Service slammed for not evacuating Trump after escalator glitch: 'They were lacking'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The escalator at the UN General Assembly abruptly stopped the moment President Donald Trump and first lady Melania stepped on it on Tuesday, September 23.

Following the incident, people on the internet slammed the Secret Service for not immediately covering the POTUS and the first lady, leaving them as a stationary target, while others disagreed.

The UN said the abrupt stoppage of the escalator was due to “a built-in safety mechanism” that was accidentally triggered by a White House videographer. However, the White House stated that if it was stopped intentionally by someone, strict action would be taken. 

Trump UNGA visit hit by malfunctions as escalator stalls and teleprompter fails

As Donald Trump arrived at the UNGA, he faced not one but two malfunctions. As he and Melania took the escalator, it abruptly stopped, leaving the POTUS and the first lady stationary for a few seconds before they decided to walk up the halted escalator.

In addition to this, when Trump took the podium for his speech, the teleprompter was also not functioning. “I don’t mind making this speech without a teleprompter, because the teleprompter is not working,” President Trump said after stepping up to speak.

He quipped, “There are two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter.”

Trump later took to Truth Social, writing: “The teleprompter was broken and the escalator came to a sudden hault as we were ridding up to the podium, but both of those events probably made the speech more interesting than it would have been other wise. It is always an honor to speak at the United Nations, even if, their equipment is somewhat faulty.”

Internet reacts as Secret Service fails to cover Trump and Melania

Many people online shared their views after the Secret Service failed to cover the president and the first lady immediately when the UNGA escalator stopped abruptly. Some criticized the security detail, while others argued the area had already been cleared and there was no threat.

A user wrote on X, “When the escalator came to a sudden halt, Secret Service just looked around hoping someone would fix the problem. That wasn’t supposed to happen and it turned Trump into a stationary target. Why did they not cover and evacuate him immediately?” Another added, “That’s inside the UN building. The entire building had been secured.”

A person also stated, “Why weren’t the Secret Service directly in front of the first lady and on both sides?” while one mentioned, “The UN is heavily secured before Trump arrives, so a hidden sniper wouldn’t be stopped by an escalator. Some staff joked about stopping it, which hit the news — they should be fired, as should the teleprompter operator if they tampered, but criminal charges seem unlikely.”

Another user wrote, “The lack of action is frightening. How do they know someone wasn’t trying to stop Trump to harm him?” while one commented, “Not only did it turn Trump into a stationary target, it turned the entire national security apparatus into a target.”

A person also added. "They are lacking"

UN says WH videographer most likely tripped a safety mechanism

UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters that a technician determined the White House videographer was unintentionally behind the abrupt incident that was caught on video.

“The escalator had stopped after a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step was triggered at the top of the escalator,” Dujarric said in a note to reporters. He added, “The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing. The videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function described above.”

"At that moment (09:50 am), the escalator came to a stop," Dujarric said.

Secret Service launches probe into Trump escalator stop

The Secret Service has launched an investigation into the escalator malfunction that abruptly stopped as President Trump and first lady Melania stepped on it, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Leavitt confirmed the probe and raised alarms, describing the sudden stoppage as a possible coordinated effort to embarrass or endanger the POTUS during his UN visit. “If we find that these were UN staffers, who are purposely trying to trip up—literally trip up—the president and the first lady of the United States? There better be accountability for those people and I will personally see to it,” Leavitt said.

She also cited a recent London Times report alleging that “UN globalist staffers were basically plotting to set up the president of the United States,” framing the escalator incident as part of a broader pattern.