When Donald and Melania Trump Stepped Onto That Escalator, No One Expected It to Become a Punchline Heard Around the World
It was supposed to be a routine arrival.
Donald Trump and Melania, poised as ever, stepped onto an escalator at the United Nations headquarters—cameras flashing, aides close behind. But a moment later, the machine sputtered and stopped. The couple stood frozen mid-escalation, the former president visibly annoyed, as murmurs rippled through the crowd and staff scrambled to redirect them to the stairs.
A minor mechanical hiccup? Sure.
But in the media ecosystem that surrounds Trump, everything becomes a headline—and this was no exception.
Especially not when Jimmy Kimmel got involved.
Escalator Stalls, Kimmel Rolls
Kimmel, never one to pass on a Trump-related blooper, pounced. The incident, already awkward, became late-night fuel within hours. The comedian’s monologue opened with a deadpan:
“You know you’re having a bad day when even the escalators start resisting.”
He followed it with a clip of his sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez riding a perfectly functioning escalator, adding, “Ours still work… for now. But we’re in New York next week, so fingers crossed.”
It was classic Kimmel—sharp, absurd, and laced with just enough truth to sting.
A Feud That Just Keeps Elevating
Trump and Kimmel’s beef has been simmering for years.
Back in 2023, when ABC briefly suspended Kimmel over pointed comments aimed at Trump and conservative pundit Charlie Kirk, Trump openly celebrated the move on social media.
Kimmel, never known for subtlety, came back swinging—framing the suspension as a badge of honor and calling Trump “a man who cheers when Americans lose their jobs over jokes.”
“He doesn’t hate comedy,” Kimmel said. “He just hates being the punchline.”
So, when the UN escalator froze under Trump’s feet, it wasn’t just a slip-up—it was comedy catnip.
Was It Sabotage?
Not content to let the joke end there, Trump reportedly floated the idea that the breakdown may have been intentional. Citing whispers among UN staff and an obscure news item, he suggested it might have been a “deliberate embarrassment” and even used the word “sabotage.”
Whether he was serious or spinning narrative is unclear—but the claim fit neatly into Trump’s long-standing narrative of victimhood and media persecution.
Kimmel, unsurprisingly, did not buy it.
Conclusion
A stalled escalator. A stalled moment. And a comedian who made sure it kept climbing—straight into viral territory.
What might’ve been an ordinary glitch became yet another skirmish in the never-ending war between Trump and the media, with Jimmy Kimmel once again seizing control of the last laugh.
In a world where every step is watched and every misstep replayed, even an escalator can become a symbol—and for Kimmel, it was just one more ride up.