While addressing the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, 2025, President Donald Trump faced a series of on-stage technical problems that momentarily distracted from his message. His teleprompter stopped working as he began, provoking an unexpected dose of humor.
Trump responded with a quip blaming the operator, stating, “Whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble,” causing laughter throughout the UN hall. This light moment followed an earlier problem when the escalator transporting Trump and Melania abruptly halted, leading to safety concerns.
The UN later clarified that the escalator was stopped by a safety mechanism triggered accidentally by a videographer. Trump continued his speech manually, focusing on global conflicts, while not shying away from airing grievances about the UN’s operations.
Though the technical difficulties posed challenges, they provided a rare levity and showed Trump’s ability to engage with the audience beyond prepared remarks.
