President Donald Trump paused his live address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Tuesday to take aim at a teleprompter operator, telling the audience the person was in “big trouble.”
ABC broke into regular programming to air Trump’s speech. Early in his remarks, Trump lightheartedly commented on the equipment, saying: “I feel very happy to be up here with you. I can only say that whoever’s operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.”
The line drew laughter from the crowd. Trump then stood in silence for several seconds before continuing his speech.
He greeted attendees, including First Lady Melania Trump, saying: “Hello, Madam First Lady. Thank you very much for being here.” He followed with a list of dignitaries: “Madam President. Mr. Secretary General. First Lady of the United States. Distinguished delegates, ambassadors, and world leaders.”
Later, Trump returned to the teleprompter issue while criticizing the UN. “All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up stopped right in the middle. If the first lady wasn’t in great shape, she would’ve fallen, but she’s in great shape, we’re both in good shape. We both stood, and then a teleprompter that didn’t work.”
He added: “These are the two things that I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter. Thank you very much. And by the way, it’s working now, it just went on.”
A UN spokesperson later disputed Trump’s account, saying in an email that “The White House, not the UN, was in charge of the teleprompter” during the event.
The teleprompter remark came just a week after Trump clashed with ABC’s Jonathan Karl at a White House press conference. When Karl asked about Attorney General Pam Bondi’s pledge to “go after hate speech” following the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk, Trump shot back: “We’ll probably go after people like you because you treat me so unfairly. It’s hate. You have a lot of hate in your heart.”
In recent months, the Trump administration has also criticized and threatened various media and entertainment figures, including the cohosts of The View and Rosie O’Donnell, whose citizenship Trump once suggested could be revoked.
In July, the White House commented on The View potentially being “pulled off the air” for liberal bias. Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr has also raised concerns, saying it may be worth reviewing whether the show and similar programs still qualify as bona fide news programs.
