Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Until last year, he ridiculed his predecessor, Joe Biden, 82, for his age-related infirmities. Now age is fast catching up with US President Donald Trump, 79, as well.
That’s why he felt it difficult, thrice, to even pronounce the name of Azerbaijan recently—and eventually called it Aberbaijan to the embarrassment of everybody.
In the same vein, while addressing the 80th Summit of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday, the mercurial US President lambasted the world body itself as he fired on all cylinders against all and sundry, left, right, and centre, against friends and foes alike, forgetting that the USA is hosting the UN since 1945
And he also forgot that the US police, in New York, is the one majorly responsible for providing the UN’s security cover. The NYPD participates in UN operations and provides security for UN-related events in the US. The US police and agencies like the FBI and Secret Service are responsible for coordination in security during UN events.
That explains why he accused the UN with failure to act against “triple sabotage” against him and his wife during their visit.
Now, the US President has demanded an investigation into what he claimed was a “triple sabotage” during his visit to address the UNGA on Wednesday.
In a post on social media, Trump referred to an escalator abruptly stopping as he and First Lady Melania Trump stepped on, a teleprompter malfunctioning during his speech, and an audio issue in the auditorium.
A UN official said the sound system was designed to allow people to hear translated speeches through earpieces, the media reported.
The UN previously said a safety mechanism might have been triggered by Trump’s videographer who had been travelling backwards up the escalator while the teleprompter belonged to the US delegation.
Trump criticised the incidents on his private social media outlet, Truth Social, and said he was sending a letter to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanding an immediate probe.
“A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday – Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!” he wrote.
“This wasn’t a coincidence. This was triple sabotage at the UN. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.”
He also called for the arrest of the people responsible for the escalator incident, referencing an article in the Times that said UN workers joked about turning off the escalators.
“This was absolutely sabotage… All security tapes at the escalator should be saved, especially the emergency stop button. The Secret Service is involved,” Trump added.
Mike Waltz, US Ambassador to the UN, echoed the President’s call for an official probe, saying the incidents were “unacceptable.”
“The United States will not tolerate threats to our security or dignity at international forums. We expect swift cooperation and decisive action,” he wrote on X.
On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt raised concerns that someone deliberately stopped the escalator.
“If someone at the UN intentionally stopped the escalator as the President and First Lady were stepping on, they need to be fired and investigated immediately,” she wrote on X after the incident.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for Guterres, said Trump’s videographer “may have inadvertently triggered the safety function” while filming the couple.
After the escalator mishap, Trump ran into more technical difficulties when he said the teleprompter was not working – although it was restored towards the end of his address.
“I can only say that whoever’s operating this teleprompter is in big trouble,” he said.
A UN official later told the BBC the White House was operating the teleprompter at the time, bringing their own laptops and plugging them into the UN’s system.
Trump also referred to audio issues in his lengthy post, saying “the sound was completely off in the Auditorium.”
“World Leaders, unless they used the interpreters’ earpieces, couldn’t hear a thing,” he added.
In response to Trump’s comments, a UN official said: ‘”The sound system was designed to allow people at their seats to hear speeches being translated into six different languages through earpieces.”