US President Barack Obama had just started a spirited defense of his economic stimulus plan on Monday when one of his teleprompter screens came loose, crashed to the floor and shattered into pieces.
The gadget's fall surprised Obama, who uses a teleprompter during most speeches and even brief remarks. The glass plate displaying his speech hit the floor in the auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, a massive building within the White House compound.
"Oh, goodness," Obama said. "Sorry about that, guys."
The audience — administration officials, mayors and urban policy experts — laughed as Obama went back to his text. To finish his 11-minute remarks calling for a new policy toward the nation's cities and metropolitan areas, he used notes and the remaining teleprompter screen.