UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General, said on Friday that Fox News host Jesse Watters apologized for his comments suggesting that the United Nations should be "bombed."

Watters made the comments during Jesse Watters Primetime on Tuesday while discussing U.S. President Donald Trump's address to world leaders at the General Debate of the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA). His remarks came after Trump experienced technical difficulties with an escalator and a teleprompter at the UN headquarters.

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

After the UN contacted Fox News about his remarks, Watters issued a private apology to Melissa Fleming, UN under-secretary-general for global communications.

Dujarric emphasized during a briefing that such language was unacceptable. "There is nothing funny or ironic in calling for the bombing, the gassing, the destruction of this building," he said.

Regarding the technical issues, the UN confirmed that the escalator malfunction occurred after Trump and First Lady Melania Trump stepped onto it, because a White House videographer likely triggered the safety mechanism that caused the escalator to stop. A UN official said the teleprompter was being operated by the White House, according to Reuters.

"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," White House Press Secretary Leavitt wrote on X on Wednesday.

The General Debate of the 80th UNGA officially opened at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday. Nearly 150 heads of state and government attended the high-level week of the UNGA. ■