A UN official later said the mechanism was accidentally triggered by someone from the president’s entourage who had rushed ahead.
The official, speaking anonymously, noted that the White House was also operating the teleprompter for Trump’s speech. Escalator and elevator shutdowns have become familiar at UN offices in New York and Geneva in recent months, as the organisation copes with financial shortfalls linked in part to delayed US payments.
During his address, Trump deviated from his prepared text to remark on the incident, joking about the stopped escalator and a malfunctioning teleprompter, while criticising the UN for delivering little to the United States despite its global role.
