When former President Donald Trump and his wife Melania experienced an escalator malfunction during their visit to the United Nations, the moment was already generating headlines. But it took on an entirely new life after late-night host Jimmy Kimmel seized on the incident, turning it into fodder for one of his trademark comedic jabs.
The escalator, which suddenly stopped mid-ride, forced Trump and Melania to hold on to the handrails and walk the remaining steps in full view of cameras. Trump later described the mishap, along with other technical difficulties like a broken teleprompter and sound glitches, as “triple sabotage.” While the UN attributed the stoppage to a triggered safety mechanism, Trump hinted at foul play, calling the episode a “REAL DISGRACE” online.
Enter Jimmy Kimmel. Known for his sharp critiques of Trump over the years, the comedian wasted no time trolling the former president. On his show, Kimmel unveiled a photo edited to exaggerate the moment—showing Trump gripping the handrail with a panicked expression, alongside a mocking caption that read, “Gravity: The Only Thing That Can Stop Him.” The audience erupted with laughter as Kimmel quipped, “Forget foreign policy—this is the kind of uphill battle he really can’t handle.”
Kimmel’s joke quickly went viral on social media, with supporters of the host reposting the image across X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Memes sprouted almost immediately, including altered versions of the escalator scene where Trump was depicted alongside cartoon characters or slipping into dramatic movie posters. Hashtags like #EscalatorGate and #TrumpTrip began trending, amplifying the story far beyond its original news cycle.
Reactions, as always with Trump-related humor, were sharply divided. Critics of Trump found the trolling hilarious, calling it a “perfect metaphor” for what they describe as his struggles under pressure. Supporters, however, blasted Kimmel for mocking what they framed as a minor safety concern, accusing him of lacking respect and using tragedy-adjacent moments for cheap laughs. Some also noted that Kimmel’s ongoing feud with Trump has escalated in recent weeks, especially following backlash over the late-night host’s commentary on the death of activist Charlie Kirk.
Trump himself has yet to directly respond to Kimmel’s escalator trolling, though his online posts suggest he remains focused on framing the incident as more than a simple technical error. Still, Kimmel’s viral joke ensures that the moment will linger in public memory, not just as an embarrassing glitch but as another entry in the ongoing culture war between Trump and late-night comedy.
For Kimmel, the photo jab underscores his position as one of Trump’s most outspoken entertainment-world critics. For Trump, it’s another reminder that in today’s media landscape, even the smallest stumble—literal or figurative—can be magnified into a viral moment. Whether audiences laugh or bristle depends largely on their politics, but one thing is certain: the escalator story, thanks to Kimmel’s trolling, has firmly secured its place in the never-ending saga of Trump headlines.
