President Donald Trump's speech at the United Nations on Tuesday was marred by technical problems, including the escalator stopping as he and First Lady Melania Trump approached it, and the teleprompter for his speech not working.
Trump, who has in the past attacked other politicians for even using a teleprompter, raged about these problems, and speculation abounded on the right that it might have been deliberate sabotage by U.N. staff who oppose Trump's agenda. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt even called for people at the U.N. building to lose their jobs over it.
But nothing of the sort happened, according to U.N. officials — in fact, it was allegedly all bungling by Trump's own staff.
"A U.N. official said the UN understands that someone from the president’s party who ran ahead of him inadvertently triggered the stop mechanism on the escalator," reported Associated Press United Nations correspondent Farnoush Amiri. Furthermore, "the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House was operating the teleprompter for Trump."