Trump alleges ‘triple sabotage’ during UN visit

President Donald Trump has said that he was the victim of "three very sinister events" during his time at the United Nations and that the Secret Service will be looking into the issues.

The president was attending the UN General Assembly, where he gave a speech excoriating the institution for having squandered its potential. He also criticised US allies in Europe for their handling of the Russian war in Ukraine and their acceptance of immigrants as he told fellow world leaders that their nations were "going to hell".

On his social media website on Wednesday, Trump indicated that he was in a sour mood at the UN because of a trio of mishaps that he suggested was part of a conspiracy against him.

First, the escalator came to a "screeching halt" with Trump and his entourage on it, an event that Trump called "absolutely sabotage".

Stephane Dujarric, the UN spokesman, said a videographer from the US delegation who ran ahead of Trump may have "inadvertently" triggered the stop mechanism at the top of the escalator.

"The people that did it should be arrested," Trump said on Truth Social.

Second, Trump said his teleprompter went "stone cold dark" during his address to the UN. The problem with that accusation is that the White House was responsible for operating the teleprompter for the president, according to a UN official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Third, Trump said that the sound was off at the UN as he spoke and that people could only hear his remarks if they had interpreters speaking into earpieces. Trump said his wife, Melania, told him she couldn't hear what he said.

"This wasn't a coincidence, this was triple sabotage," said Trump, who is seeking an investigation of the matter.

Trump told the UN to save its security tapes regarding the escalator stoppage as the Secret Service will be involved in the inquiry.