Donald and Melania Trump Encounter Escalator Issue on Way to Summit
It was intended to be a grand arrival. Instead, the moment turned into an awkward spectacle as President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were left stranded at the base of a frozen escalator inside the United Nations headquarters in New York City.
The couple had just arrived on September 23, 2025, for the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, an event marking eight decades of international diplomacy under the theme “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights.”
As cameras flashed and delegates looked on, the golden-colored escalator beneath the first couple came to an abrupt halt. The motionless steps left the president and first lady visibly caught off guard. Melania glanced back with a sharp side-eye while Trump, stoic and silent, assessed the scene as aides and security clustered nearby.
To make matters even more ironic, the escalator next to them continued running smoothly, ferrying others upstairs without incident. In a decisive moment, Melania took the lead, striding upward in her cream blazer and heels as though nothing had happened. Trump followed closely behind, adjusting his posture as the escalator became little more than a frozen staircase.
Photos and video of the mishap instantly went viral, sparking headlines and endless memes. Reporters shouted questions as the couple climbed, but the president offered no comment. At one point, he raised his index finger in a small gesture — whether as a signal to his team or a subtle dismissal of the chaos below, no one could quite tell.
Hours later, UN officials broke their silence. A spokesperson revealed the stoppage wasn’t a mechanical failure at all, but rather a triggered safety feature. The culprit? A member of the U.S. delegation who had been walking backward while filming the Trumps’ entrance, inadvertently setting off the system.
The escalator was quickly reset, and the schedule carried on. Yet the viral mishap had already set the tone for Trump’s day — and as it turned out, the escalator wouldn’t be his only technical challenge on the world stage.