President Donald Trump’s address to the U.N. General Assembly began with unexpected technical problems: the escalator malfunctioned as he ascended to the podium, and the teleprompter failed to work.
Forced to improvise, he opened his speech without relying on his usual aids, joked about the equipment failures, and warned that “whoever’s operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.” He said speaking without the teleprompter allowed him to “speak from the heart.”
Once the teleprompter came back online, he resumed with his planned remarks—covering both domestic and foreign policy issues. He also revisited a past bid to renovate the U.N. headquarters, criticizing budget overruns and construction choices.
Trump later reflected that the interruptions may have made the speech more memorable and suggested they underscored his broader criticism of the United Nations.