A former Trump administration staffer experienced a physical assault by an allegedly unstable individual during a United Nations event on Thursday afternoon, as reported by Fox News Digital.
This official, who works in international relations for the Department of Health and Human Services, was in New York City to assist HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the department’s leadership during the UN General Assembly.
According to White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly in a statement to Fox News Digital, “An HHS official was pursued into a restroom, recorded, physically attacked, and verbally assaulted by a disordered individual at the UN, who managed to breach several levels of security.” She added, “Fortunately, the official is okay, and the assailant has been apprehended, but this incident highlights a troubling pattern of security failures at the UN in the wake of their antagonism towards President Trump during his address.”
Kelly also stated that the U.S. Secret Service would conduct an investigation into “how this violent protester was able to enter a key national security event.”
A source revealed to Fox News Digital that the suspect has been charged with assault, aggravated harassment, attempted assault, and possession of a weapon.
The person was released from custody at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and is expected to appear in court on November 13, according to the source.
Kelly commented, “The UN needs to be accountable for why such alarming incidents continue to happen to the president and his team.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. UN delegation remarked to Fox News Digital, “We are appalled that a member of the U.S. team was physically assaulted within the UN Headquarters on the afternoon of September 25. This attack requires immediate attention and consequences.”
This spokesperson asserted that “the UN itself is aware that it has lost its direction.”
“It has turned into a place where members of an American delegation are subjected to harassment and violence,” the spokesperson said. “If you can’t guarantee the safety of individuals in your own facility, how can you maintain the claim of being the world’s center for diplomacy?”
The spokesperson labeled the event “unacceptable” and emphasized that the United Nations “will fully collaborate with the U.S. Secret Service on their investigation of this incident.”
“It’s clear that the UN needs significant overhaul and must immediately conduct a comprehensive review of its security protocols,” the spokesperson stated. “The UN’s shortcomings are visible around the globe, and now within its very walls.”
The U.S. UN spokesperson concluded with, “Enough is enough.”
The official recounted her ordeal of being stalked, insulted, and physically attacked inside the United Nations during an exclusive discussion with Fox News Digital.
<pAccording to her account, as she walked through the UN halls, a woman began aggressively shouting at her while aiming a bright light in her direction.
“It was incredibly disorienting,” the official expressed. “Once I stepped back to collect myself, the harassment didn’t relent. I comprehended what was happening—I was being yelled at and filmed.”
She attempted to distance herself from this woman, who was hurling derogatory remarks and pro-Palestinian slogans, but the harassment persisted closely behind her.
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She described how the woman insulted her, calling her a “fascist” and a “Nazi.”
<p“The nature of the insults escalated,” the official mentioned, revealing to Fox News Digital that she sought refuge in the women’s restroom, only to have the woman follow her in.
“Her shouting turned into hysterical, aggressive outbursts,” the official recounted.
Despite her attempts to hide in a restroom stall, the official stated that the woman was pushing and trying to get in.
Once she managed to close the stall door, the woman continued to film her by positioning the camera over the stall door, while still screaming.
The official waited for the yelling to cease and then exited the stall, anticipating that the woman had left; however, she found the woman waiting just outside the door, continuing her tirade while shining the light in her face. Eventually, the official succeeded in getting away.
This unsettling encounter lasted around ten minutes.
“It felt distinctly political,” she reflected. “Secretary Kennedy faces an extensive array of criticisms and threats, and it appears that this hostility is beginning to reach us at lower levels.”
She continued, “It’s disconcerting for the team. However, we feel more empowered and backed by strong leadership.”
According to Fox News Digital, the woman was detained by the New York City Police Department, although her current custody status remains unclear.
Neither the NYPD nor the United Nations immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comments.
