White House calls for an investigation into UN escalator malfunction

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday called for an investigation into an escalator malfunction at the United Nations (UN), which had stopped working when President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were on it.

The malfunction occurred on the president's way to give an address at the United Nations' general assembly in New York City and was just one of the technological malfunctions that interrupted the president's schedule. His teleprompter also did not work. 

Leavitt's call for an investigation comes after the Times of London reported Sunday that UN staffers joked that they may switch off the escalator during Trump's visit. 

"If someone at the UN intentionally stopped the escalator as the President and First Lady were stepping on, they need to be fired and investigated immediately," Leavitt posted on X in response to the Times of London article.

A UN spokesperson later told Fox News that a member of the U.S. delegation ran up and down the escalator before Trump was off of it, which triggered an alarm and stopped it. 

"A subsequent investigation, including a readout of the machine's central processing unit, indicated that the escalator had stopped after a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step was triggered at the top of the escalator," the spokesperson said. "The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing."

The spokesperson added that the malfunction was not the result of a nefarious or intentional action.

Trump joked about the technological malfunctions in his address, stating, "these are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter."

A UN official said it is up to the president's team to operate his teleprompter, according to CNN. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.