(MENAFN) Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, announced Friday that Fox News host Jesse Watters has apologized for his inflammatory remarks suggesting the United Nations should be "bombed."

Watters made the controversial comments on his show, Jesse Watters Primetime, last Tuesday while discussing U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech to world leaders at the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. His statements followed technical problems Trump faced with an escalator and teleprompter inside the UN headquarters.

During the broadcast, Watters declared, "What we need to do is either leave the UN or we need to bomb it... maybe gas it... we need to destroy it."

Following a formal complaint from the UN to Fox News, Watters privately apologized to Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications.

At a press briefing, Dujarric condemned the remarks as unacceptable. "There is nothing funny or ironic in calling for the bombing, the gassing, the destruction of this building," he stressed.

The UN clarified the cause of the technical glitches: the escalator stopped shortly after President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump stepped onto it, likely triggered by a White House videographer’s safety mechanism activation. A UN official told media that the teleprompter was operated by the White House.

White House Press Secretary Leavitt responded sharply on X, stating, "If someone at the UN intentionally stopped the escalator as the President and First Lady were stepping on, they need to be fired and investigated immediately."

The 80th UN General Assembly’s General Debate commenced Tuesday at UN headquarters, drawing nearly 150 heads of state and government for the high-level week of diplomatic talks.

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