Late-night comedian **Jimmy Kimmel** has once again turned Donald Trump’s misfortune into viral comedy, this time zeroing in on the former president’s recent **escalator embarrassment** at the United Nations. During his show and on Instagram, Kimmel posted a photo of his sidekick Guillermo Rodríguez happily riding a working escalator, captioning it with the cheeky line: *“Headed to Brooklyn! Escalator is working great!”* People Magazine shared the image, which quickly spread across social media as fans laughed at the pointed jab. For Kimmel, who has made a career of lampooning Trump’s every misstep, it was the perfect punchline to a very public glitch.
The incident that sparked this trolling unfolded at the U.N. lobby last week, when Trump and Melania were riding down an escalator before a speech. Without warning, the escalator abruptly halted, leaving the pair awkwardly stranded before they were forced to walk the rest of the way. Trump later seized on the malfunction in his remarks, calling it “a bad escalator” and even suggesting sabotage. Reuters later reported that U.N. officials determined the stoppage was most likely caused by Trump’s own videographer walking backward and triggering a safety mechanism — hardly the sinister conspiracy Trump implied.
“Escalator is working great!” — Jimmy Kimmel’s post trolling Trump’s U.N. mishap. — @peoplemag
Kimmel’s return to the spotlight has been marked by sharp commentary, and his monologue after the escalator incident pulled no punches. He ridiculed Trump’s tendency to exaggerate minor inconveniences into political attacks, joking that the former president treated the escalator mishap like a near-death experience. People provided a transcript of the monologue where Kimmel mocked Trump’s claims of multiple “sabotages” in one day, including the broken teleprompter and audio glitches. For Kimmel, these excuses were less about malfunctions and more about Trump’s ongoing need to portray himself as a victim of shadowy forces.
Other outlets, like The Daily Beast, highlighted how Kimmel used the opportunity to satirize MAGA supporters who spun the moment into a conspiracy theory. Kimmel joked that Trump’s allies acted as though “they dropped him into shark-infested waters,” when in reality, he was simply inconvenienced by a stopped escalator. With characteristic sarcasm, Kimmel asked his audience whether Trump wanted to be seen as a strongman or a “brittle-boned grandma with osteoporosis,” cutting directly at Trump’s image of toughness.
“They act like they dropped him into shark-infested waters. It was an escalator!” — Kimmel roasting MAGA outrage. — @DailyBeast
The humor may have been biting, but it underscored a serious point: Trump has repeatedly leaned on everyday inconveniences to spin broader narratives of persecution. By countering those claims with satire, Kimmel reframed the story, stripping away the drama Trump tried to manufacture. The Guardian observed that Kimmel’s ratings surged during the week he mocked the incident, proving that audiences still crave pointed comedic takes on Trump’s antics. The image of Guillermo smiling on a functional escalator became an instant symbol of how humor can dismantle political spin more effectively than fact-checking alone.
The escalator moment also snowballed into political theater well beyond late-night TV. MAGA commentators doubled down on claims of sabotage, echoing Trump’s suggestion that enemies were behind the breakdown. Trump himself vowed to “look into it” and hinted at potential investigations. Yet, as EW reported, U.N. officials pointed out that Trump’s own staff had been operating the teleprompter and audio systems he blamed, undercutting his claims. To critics, it was another example of Trump inflating small malfunctions into exaggerated proof of persecution.
Kimmel: “I want to go see the escalator that tried to viciously attack the president this week.” — @peoplemag
Kimmel’s trolling carried extra weight because it marked his return from a brief suspension after controversial remarks about Trump. His show had been pulled temporarily, fueling speculation about whether networks were bowing to political pressure. Wikipedia’s timeline details how the suspension played out. Coming back with a viral hit against Trump not only reaffirmed Kimmel’s comedic instincts but also re-established his role as one of Trump’s most persistent late-night critics.
Ultimately, Kimmel’s photo with Guillermo was more than just a joke — it was a cultural counterpunch. Trump’s escalator moment may have been fleeting, but Kimmel turned it into a lasting meme, undercutting Trump’s narrative with humor and exposing how even the smallest blunders can spiral into larger dramas. By leaning into satire, Kimmel reminded audiences that laughter can be one of the most powerful tools for holding public figures accountable, especially when they try to turn technical mishaps into political weapons.
