Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · September 27, 2025 · Entertainment

Jimmy Kimmel’s Escalator Joke Targets Trump’s UN Snafu

Jimmy Kimmel, 57, took a swipe at Trump over the president's United Nations escalator 'sabotage' which occurred earlier this week; seen in June

Kimmel Takes a Swipe at Trump's "Escalator Sabotage" Claims

In a move that's got everyone talking, Jimmy Kimmel took aim at Donald Trump's outlandish claims of "escalator sabotage" at the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week. The 57-year-old comedian, whose late-night talk show was pulled off the air last week, couldn't resist taking a jab at the president on Instagram.

Kimmel shared a cheeky photo of his sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez standing near the top of an escalator, captioned: "Headed to Brooklyn! Escalator is working great!" The subtle reference to Trump's UN mishap had fans giggling, and we can't help but wonder if it was a deliberate move to poke fun at the president's dramatic claims.

'Headed to Brooklyn! Escalator is working great!' the TV personality penned in the caption, subtly referencing to the Trump incident

For those who missed it, Trump and his wife Melania made an appearance at the UN on Tuesday, only for the escalator to suddenly stop working mid-ride. The president later took to his Truth Social platform to claim that he had been the victim of a "triple sabotage" - yes, you read that right, triple!

In a bizarre statement, Trump accused the UN staff of conspiring against him, saying: "All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that, on the way up, stopped right in the middle. If the first lady wasn't in great shape, she would have fallen. But she's in great shape. We're both in good shape, we both stood."

We can't help but wonder what really happened behind closed doors at the UN. Was it just a prank gone wrong or something more sinister? Trump also claimed that the teleprompter didn't work during his address and that there were issues with audio quality - a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?

However as Trump and wife Melania began making their way to an upper level, the escalator came to a sudden halt (seen above on Tuesday)

But Kimmel wasn't having it. The comedian took to Instagram to share his thoughts on Trump's claims, saying: "You know, a lot of people watched our show last night... I did hear from one very special friend, moments after we taped our show last night, the mad red hatter wrote, 'I can't believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back.'"

In a clever move, Kimmel turned the tables on Trump, saying: "You can't believe they gave me my job back? I can't believe they gave you your job back! We're even." It's clear that Kimmel isn't afraid to speak his mind and take on the president.

But what really got our attention was Trump's threat to sue ABC after it was announced that Kimmel would return to the air. The president labeled Kimmel a "bully" on social media, saying: "There are still a lot of people who think I should be pulled off the air for making fun of Donald Trump... So, I want to explain. I talk about Trump more than anything because he's a bully. I don't like bullies."

During his speech, Trump mentioned the mishap and said, 'All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that, on the way up, stopped right in the middle'; seen on Tuesday

It seems that Trump is at it again, trying to silence his critics and control the narrative. But we're not buying it. Kimmel's comeback on Instagram was a perfect example of how the comedian isn't afraid to speak truth to power.

As for the controversy surrounding Kimmel's return to air, it's been a wild ride. Disney announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would resume airing on ABC, but major affiliates like Sinclair Inc. and Nexstar initially refused to air the show on their local stations. However, in a surprise move, Sinclair announced that they would begin airing the show on all 38 of its ABC affiliates starting Friday.

In a statement, Sinclair said: "Over the last week, we have received thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives... We have also witnessed troubling acts of violence, including the despicable incident of a shooting at an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento. These events underscore why responsible broadcasting matters and why respectful dialogue between differing voices remains so important."

In his Truth Social post, the U.S. president penned: 'A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday - Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!'

It's clear that Kimmel's show is back on track, but what's next for Trump? Will he continue to make outlandish claims or try to silence his critics once again? Only time will tell.

TheScholarlyNote.com

In related news, we've got a major update on the controversy surrounding ABC affiliates Sinclair Inc. and Nexstar. After initially refusing to air Kimmel's show, both companies have announced that they will resume airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! starting Friday.

Last week, the comedian was taken off the air following remarks he made about Charlie Kirk's assassination; seen on Tuesday

According to sources close to the matter, Sinclair revealed that it had received "thoughtful feedback" from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives. The company also cited the recent shooting at an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento as a reason for reconsidering their decision.

Nexstar also announced that they would resume airing Kimmel's show on its 32 ABC affiliates starting Friday. In a statement, the company said: "Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgement as to the content on their local stations... While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content."

It's clear that Kimmel's show is back in business, but what does this mean for Trump and his ongoing feud with ABC? Only time will tell.

He had insinuated that suspected shooter Tyler Robinson, 22, was Republican and that the 'Maga gang' was trying to 'score political points' over Kirk's tragic passing' Kirk seen in May in Washington D.C.

Sources:

  • TheScholarlyNote.com
  • Sinclair Inc.
  • Nexstar

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However, Sinclair announced that it would begin airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! on all of its 38 ABC affiliates beginning on Friday

  • Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Air After Controversy Over Remarks on Charlie Kirk's Assassination
  • Donald Trump Threatens to Sue ABC Over Jimmy Kimmel's Return to Air

Nexstar also revealed that it would resume airing the late night talk show on its 32 ABC affiliates starting Friday; Kimmel seen on Tuesday