Trump mocks UN over bad escalator and teleprompter, says Melania would have fallen if 'she wasn't in great shape'

As U.S. President Donald Trump walked up to the podium at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, he joked about having to speak “from the heart” due to a teleprompter malfunction. He also said he faced an escalator mishap when he was with First Lady Melania Trump that morning.

“I don’t mind making the speech without a teleprompter, because the teleprompter is not working,” he told the crowd of world leaders gathered in New York.

“I feel very happy to be up here with you nevertheless — and that way you speak more from the heart. I can only say that whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.”  

The crowd burst into laughter.

He then continued reading his speech on paper. According to the UN , there is a 15-minute “voluntary time limit for each speech” to cater to the more than 193 speakers over the six-day event; however, it is “rarely” adhered to. Trump’s speech was nearly one hour long.

Minutes in, he spoke about wars that he brought to an end.

“I ended seven wars…It’s too bad I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them,” calling out the UN for not offering to help. Then he made light of a situation that he faced earlier with his wife at UN headquarters earlier on Tuesday.

“All I got from the UN was an escalator that on the way up, stopped right in the middle. If the First Lady wasn’t in great shape, she would have fallen, but she’s in great shape. We’re both in good shape. We both stood. And then a teleprompter that didn’t work. These are the two things that I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter.”

A video published online by Forbes shows the couple walking into the building, toward the escalator. Trump motions for Melania to go first. Seconds after they take a step onto it, the escalator stops. Melania starts walking up the stalled escalator and Trump follows.

“And by the way, it’s working now,” Trump told the crowd, about the teleprompter as he continued his speech. “It just went on.”

Trump will take part in meetings throughout the day in New York before returning to the White House on Tuesday night.

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