A journalist at UN headquarters in New York earned viral attention when she called out to President Donald Trump as he arrived for his address to the General Assembly.
"Watch the stairs, sir," she told the president in a mocking tone.
The jab was a public reminder of the escalator incident from last year, when the moving staircase suddenly stopped while carrying Trump and First Lady Melania through the building.
Trump was furious after the September 2025 mishap, He and his staff accused the UN of deliberate sabotage, claiming it was an intentional attempt to embarrass the administration. The organization countered that a safety mechanism had been accidentally triggered by an invited photographer, but that didn't prevent weeks of complaints and demands for apologies from the White House.
Ahead of Trump's return to speak at this year's General Assembly, the UN left nothing to chance and took extraordinary precautions. A spokesman for Secretary-General António Guterres confirmed that all escalators in the building underwent repeated and thorough inspections to prevent a repeat of the diplomatic embarrassment.
