A Trump administration official was physically assaulted inside United Nations headquarters Thursday afternoon in what the White House called a “disturbing” security failure during the UN General Assembly.
The official, who works in international relations for the Department of Health and Human Services, was in New York City in a support role for HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and senior leadership. She was followed into a bathroom, recorded, harassed, and physically assaulted, according to White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly, Fox News reported.
“An HHS official was followed into a bathroom, recorded, physically assaulted and verbally accosted by a deranged leftist at the UN who somehow entered the venue past multiple layers of security,” Kelly told Fox News Digital. “Thankfully, the official is safe, and the lunatic was arrested, but this is part of a disturbing and dangerous set of failures by the UN after their sabotage of President Trump ahead of and during his speech.”
The suspect was later charged with assault, aggravated harassment, attempted assault and criminal possession of a weapon, according to a source familiar with the case. The individual was released Friday night and is expected to appear in court on Nov. 13.
Kelly said the U.S. Secret Service will conduct a full investigation into how the attacker gained access to what she described as a “major national security event.”
A U.S. UN spokesperson condemned the incident as “unacceptable” and demanded accountability.
“We are outraged that a member of the U.S. delegation was physically assaulted inside of UN Headquarters the afternoon of September 25,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “This attack must be addressed swiftly, and consequences must be felt. If you can’t keep people safe in your own building, how can you claim to be the world’s diplomatic center?”
The spokesperson said the United Nations “must immediately implement a thorough review of its security operations,” adding, “Enough is enough.”
The official who was assaulted recounted her experience in an exclusive interview, saying the incident lasted about 10 minutes. She said a woman began following her down a hallway at the UN, shining a bright light in her face and yelling pro-Palestinian insults, calling her a “fascist” and a “Nazi.”
“It was very disorienting,” the official said. “Once I took a step back and regained my footing, it didn’t stop. I realized what was happening. I realized I was being yelled at and that the light was also a recording device.”
The official said she tried to escape into the women’s bathroom, but the woman continued pursuing her.
“Her yelling turned into screaming—hyper-aggressive insults,” she said. “I tried to hide in a bathroom stall, but she was pushing and trying to get in. When I closed the door, she put the camera over the stall to keep filming.”
When the official thought the attack had ended and left the stall, the woman was still waiting for her at the door, continuing to shine the light and scream insults until the official managed to get away.
“It felt very political in nature,” the official said. “Secretary Kennedy gets a tremendous number of bows and arrows and threats that he deals with, but it seems that it’s not enough, and it is trickling down. That’s a scary thing for the team. But we’re more empowered, and we have amazing leadership.”
Fox News Digital reported the woman was taken into custody by the New York Police Department. A spokesman for the secretary general of the United Nations said the attacker had been admitted as an invited guest of a member state and had passed through a security screening.
“Once UN authorities were made aware of the incident, they reacted swiftly. The alleged perpetrator of the assault was identified and detained. Soon after, she handed over to the NYPD for arrest,” the spokesman said.