Despite delivering a lengthy speech touching on a wide range of major issues, Donald Trump took time during his United Nations address to complain about two technical hitches.
The problems caused a row, with a member of Trump’s team even suggesting the UN had tried to sabotage his appearance – but now officials from the organisation have put forward an alternative explanation.
The first issue was when an escalator at the UN headquarters in New York abruptly stopped just after the US president and first lady Melania stepped on to it, forcing them to walk the rest of the way up.
A little later, his teleprompter appeared to fail as he began his speech to the 80th United Nations General Assembly.
“Whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble,” he said, before attempting to link the malfunctions to what he said were the UN’s failings.
“I ended seven wars, dealt with the leaders of each and every one of these countries, and never even received a phone call from the United Nations,” Mr Trump said.
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“All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that, on the way up, stopped right in the middle. If the first lady wasn’t in great shape, she would have fallen, but she’s in great shape. We’re both in good shape.”
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The escalator incident in particular appeared to prompt fury among some of his aides and supporter.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested the escalator problem was the work of people sabotaging her boss.
“If we find that these were UN and staffers who were purposefully trying to trip up, literally trip up the president and the first lady of the United States, well, there better be accountability for those people. And I will personally see to it,” she told Fox News.
She later said: “If someone at the UN intentionally stopped the escalator… they need to be fired and investigated immediately.”
Other Trump supporters went further.
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Some said the US should leave the UN in response, while Fox News host Jesse Watters suggested the building should be “destroyed”.
Officials have now said, however, the cause was closer to Mr Trump.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said a videographer from the US delegation who ran ahead of the president triggered the stop mechanism at the top of the escalator.
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“The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing,” he said in a statement.
“The videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function.”
On the other technical issue, a UN official speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue said the White House was operating the teleprompter for the president.
