Shortly after their animated conversation, Trump and Melania disembarked from Marine One and walked across the South Lawn hand in hand, presenting a united front.
Body language expert Judi James offered additional insight into the exchange, noting that appearances can be deceiving.
Trump made sure to reference the escalator incident during his UN General Assembly speech, using it as a punchline while also making his displeasure known.
He quipped that he had ‘ended seven wars’ and ‘all I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up stopped right in the middle.’
He also praised his wife’s physical fitness, adding: “If the first lady wasn’t in great shape, she would’ve fallen.”
The speech took a more serious turn as Trump urged European leaders to follow his example in cracking down on immigration, bluntly telling them: “Your countries are going to hell.”
