President Donald Trump lashed out at the United Nations during his address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, insisting he had ended seven “unendable wars” and lamenting that the global body failed to act.
In his first UN appearance since his return to the White House, Trump also faulted the institution for not supporting his peace efforts in Gaza, Ukraine, and other hotspots.
“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump asked during his nearly hour-long remarks. “It has such tremendous potential, but it’s not even coming close to living up to that.”
Depicting the UN as outdated and ineffective, Trump claimed he resolved conflicts the body ignored.
“It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them,” Trump said. “I ended seven wars, dealt with the leaders of each and every one of these countries, and never even received a phone call from the United Nations offering to help in finalizing the deal.”
The former president also griped about a malfunctioning teleprompter and a broken escalator at the venue, saying the organization had “tremendous potential” but continued to fall short.
While pushing for peace — and eyeing a Nobel Prize — Trump’s tone was unmistakably combative.
He rebuked European leaders on immigration, warning their nations were being “destroyed.” He threatened drug cartels, vowing to “blow you out of existence.” He derided climate change as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” and slammed allies for considering Palestinian statehood, calling it “too great a reward for Hamas.”
Trump touted his crime-fighting policies, referencing the deployment of troops to Washington and deadly strikes on Venezuelan drug boats.
“To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned that we will blow you out of existence,” he declared.
His second term has ushered in hardline nationalist policies limiting US cooperation with global bodies. He has withdrawn from the World Health Organization and the UN climate accord, reduced development aid, and imposed sanctions on foreign judges he accuses of violating sovereignty.
Opening the summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that US-led aid cuts were “wreaking havoc” worldwide.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also raised alarm over “anti-democratic forces” in his country, tied to a coup attempt by his predecessor — an ally of Trump. Still, Trump said he and Lula shared a hug and agreed to meet next week.
On Ukraine, Trump is set to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky again, following his August talks in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin — a meeting that eased Moscow’s isolation but yielded no breakthrough.
Ahead of Trump’s speech, the US Secret Service announced it had disrupted a plot by “nation-state threat actors” to interfere with telecommunications around the UN.
