Trump angered by ‘bad escalator’ at UN as White House vows to investigate malfunction

Press secretary speculates the escalator stopped on purpose to humiliate president, but UN says safety function may have been inadvertently triggered'

Donald Trump appeared to laugh it off Tuesday when an escalator and a teleprompter both malfunctioned during his United Nations visit - but for US officials it was no laughing matter.

The White House said an investigation had been launched into whether the moving stairway was stopped on purpose to humiliate the US president, who later bashed the global body in his speech to the UN general assembly in New York.