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Related: About this forumTrump Targets Broken Escalator in Off-the-Rails UNGA Speech - The Daily Show
Jordan Klepper dives into Trumps appearance at the United Nations General Assembly, where global diplomacy and updates on Ukraine played second fiddle to his grudge against an out-of-order escalator.
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Trump Targets Broken Escalator in Off-the-Rails UNGA Speech - The Daily Show (Original Post)
TexasTowelie
Sep 24
OP
MaddowBlog-The rapid rise and sudden fall of the United Nations escalator 'controversy'
LetMyPeopleVote
Sep 24
#1
LetMyPeopleVote
(170,737 posts)1. MaddowBlog-The rapid rise and sudden fall of the United Nations escalator 'controversy'
Some Republicans suggested the U.N. had targeted Donald Trump with an escalator malfunction. Evidently, the truth was more benign.
The rapid rise and sudden fall of the United Nations escalator âcontroversyâ www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...
— Margie (@paeznyc.bsky.social) 2025-09-24T21:18:52.855Z
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/rapid-rise-sudden-fall-united-nation-escalator-controversy-rcna233450
During his ridiculous address to the U.N. General Assembly, Donald Trump covered quite a bit of ground, but his speech included a curious reference to, of all things, an escalator......
Evidently, the truth was more benign. NBC News reported:
A U.N. spokesperson explained: The escalator had stopped after a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step was triggered at the top of the escalator. The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing. The [White House] videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function described above......
All of this, of course, came before the public learned that it was a White House videographer that apparently triggered the escalators safety measures.
Kevin Kruse, a historian at Princeton University, noted soon after: This is the perfect encapsulation of Trumpism because of its obsession with imagery, the White House crew caused a problem but blamed it on other people, leading to MAGA making threats against the United Nations for their own screw up.
Evidently, the truth was more benign. NBC News reported:
The United Nations has concluded its one-day investigation into the mysterious halting of President Donald Trumps escalator Tuesday as he arrived at the U.N. General Assembly. The accidental culprit? A White House videographer who most likely tripped a safety mechanism.
A U.N. spokesperson explained: The escalator had stopped after a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step was triggered at the top of the escalator. The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing. The [White House] videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function described above......
All of this, of course, came before the public learned that it was a White House videographer that apparently triggered the escalators safety measures.
Kevin Kruse, a historian at Princeton University, noted soon after: This is the perfect encapsulation of Trumpism because of its obsession with imagery, the White House crew caused a problem but blamed it on other people, leading to MAGA making threats against the United Nations for their own screw up.
some_of_us_are_sane
(2,183 posts)2. So it WASN'T a planned embarrassment by the U.N. people
after all. Just a WHITE HOUSE photographer who accidentally triggered the safety measures for the escalator.
You know what i say?
" I'm rubber, you're glue; whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you! "