US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed he was targeted by “three very sinister events” during his appearance at the United Nations on Tuesday and said the US Secret Service is investigating the incidents.
First Incident: Escalator Malfunction
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that first, as he and First Lady Melania ascended an escalator to the main speaking floor, it abruptly stopped, nearly causing them to fall. He called this “absolutely sabotage.”
“First, the escalator going up to the Main Speaking Floor came to a screeching halt. It stopped on a dime. It’s amazing that Melania and I didn’t fall forward onto the sharp edges of these steel steps, face first. It was only that we were each holding the handrail tightly or, it would have been a disaster. This was absolutely sabotage, as noted by a day’s earlier “post” in The London Times that said UN workers “joked about turning off an escalator.” The people that did it should be arrested,” Trump said in the post.
Second Incident: Teleprompter Malfunction
Second, he said his teleprompter failed for about 15 minutes at the start of his speech, forcing him to speak without prompts.
“Then, as I stood before a Television crowd of millions of people all over the World, and important Leaders in the Hall, my teleprompter didn’t work. It was stone cold dark. I immediately thought to myself, “Wow, first the escalator event, and now a bad teleprompter. What kind of a place is this?” I then proceeded to make a Speech without a teleprompter, which kicked in about 15 minutes later. The good news is the Speech has gotten fantastic reviews. Maybe they appreciated the fact that very few people could have done what I did,” Trump said.
Third Incident: Trump’s Address At UN
Third, Trump alleged that the sound system in the General Assembly hall malfunctioned, as several world leaders could not hear his address without interpreters’ earpieces. Melania, seated in the front row, reportedly told him she couldn’t hear a word.
“Third, after making the Speech, I was told that the sound was completely off in the Auditorium where the Speech was made, that World Leaders, unless they used the interpreters’ earpieces, couldn’t hear a thing. The first person I saw at the conclusion of the Speech was Melania, who was sitting right up front. I said, “How did I do?” And she said, I couldn’t hear a word you said,” Trump said.
Triple Sabotage
Trump called the incidents at the UN “triple sabotage,” saying it was not a coincidence and that those responsible “ought to be ashamed of themselves.”
“This wasn’t a coincidence; this was triple sabotage at the UN. They ought to be ashamed of themselves. I’m sending a copy of this letter to the Secretary General, and I demand an immediate investigation. No wonder the United Nations hasn’t been able to do the job that they were put in existence to do,” Trump said in the post.
Trump has instructed the UN to preserve security footage related to the escalator stoppage, noting that the Secret Service would take part in the investigation.
ALSO READ: Trump Vs WHO: What The Paracetamol-Autism Row Means For Mothers