The claim that Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, stated the White House brought its own equipment for Trump's speech and operated the teleprompter is true because multiple reliable news sources report this statement attributed to him.
True
The spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Stéphane Dujarric, told the German Press Agency (dpa) that the White House had brought its own equipment for Trump’s speech. “The teleprompter was operated by the White House.”
Escalatorgate: White House urges probe into Trump UN malfunctions
Source: rfi.fr
At a glance
Verified September 23, 2025Key Evidence
RFI and RTL on September 23, 2025 articles explicitly mention Stéphane Dujarric stating that the White House brought its own teleprompter equipment and operated it.
The NZ Herald also references a UN spokesman's explanation about technical issues but aligns with the notion that the teleprompter was White House-operated.
PBS News coverage of Trump's speech notes the teleprompter malfunction but does not contradict Dujarric's statement about equipment ownership and operation.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
Several independent news outlets covering the events around President Donald Trump's United Nations General Assembly speech in 2025 report that Stéphane Dujarric confirmed the White House provided and operated its own teleprompter equipment. This was mentioned in the context of technical malfunctions during Trump's speech, including issues with the escalator and teleprompter. The sources indicate that the UN did not supply or operate the teleprompter, clarifying responsibility for the equipment.
Dujarric's role as the official spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General lends credibility to his statement. While some reports focus on the malfunctions themselves, they consistently cite Dujarric's confirmation about White House control over the teleprompter.
Primary trail
Verified Sources4
Open source