President Trump Criticizes UN and Global Policies in General Assembly Address

"...It was perhaps an ominous sign when the first thing President Donald Trump said in his United Nations General Assembly speech Tuesday was that his teleprompter was broken...."

"...sounding less than happy..."

"...What could have been a minor technical snafu..."

"...instead foretold a speech that both veered well off-script and questioned the UN’s ability to solve problems much bigger than malfunctioning audio-visual equipment...."

"...Trump used the yearly foreign policy address to castigate foreign allies for supposedly ruining their countries with unchecked migration, fueling foreign conflicts with purchases of Russian energy, and ignoring his own peacemaking efforts...."

"...He addressed the most pressing foreign conflicts — the wars in Ukraine and Gaza — only in passing, instead reserving most of his speech to bemoan efforts to combat climate change, tout his own approach to world issues and take swipes at his predecessor (he used former President Joe Biden’s name six times in the speech)...."

"...a sentiment that neatly summed up the thesis of his speech...."

"...In a sign of just how much the world has changed since he was laughed at from the same podium by delegates in his first term, the audience Tuesday sat mostly silent...."

"...Trump spent much of his time in the General Assembly hall offering criticism of other nations’ immigration policies, accusing the UN of “funding an assault on Western countries” due to insufficient migration controls and warning the fabric of the West was being destroyed...."

"...It essentially amounted to a lecture and a warning to Europe, which has seen waves of migrants from Africa and the Middle East in recent years, that his approach of sharply curbing migrants from entering the United States was the only way to preserve national heritage...."

"...He said other leaders, particularly in Europe, would be wise to follow his lead...."

"...Trump scoffed at past predictions warning of global disaster from climate change and urged other nations to scrap green energy initiatives intended to reduce carbon output...."

"...The vast majority of climate scientists have concluded climate change is happening, and that it is mainly caused by fossil fuel pollution. Already, the world is seeing its effects: Floods are becoming more extreme and deadly, droughts are more widespread and severe, and heat waves are more dangerous...."

"...Trump was having none of it...."

"...The president also claimed green energy policies allow countries without such restrictions — particularly in the developing world — to make money while the US lags behind...."

"...Trump offered little new information when discussing the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, two conflicts he once said would be easy to resolve but continue to rage eight months into his term...."

"...He lamented the growing momentum for a two-state solution at the United Nations this week as a “reward” for Hamas, reaffirming calls for a ceasefire and end to the conflict in Gaza that have so far proved elusive...."

"...He acknowledged ending the war in Ukraine had been more difficult than he expected, saying his good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin hadn’t translated into effective peace negotiations...."

"...But instead of directing his ire toward Moscow, Trump berated European nations for continuing purchases of Russian energy products...."

"...European nations have dramatically reduced their oil purchases from Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, but continue to purchase natural gas. Two countries, Hungary and Slovakia, make up the bulk of European purchases of Russian oil...."

"...Trump did identify China and India as the “primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil,” but accused European nations of also contributing...."

"...In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of UNGA later Tuesday, Trump said he believes NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace. The comment is notable as the defense alliance confronts the potential for an expansion of the war, although Trump stopped short of saying the United States would join in the effort...."

"...The US president also suggested he might speak to his “friend,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, about stopping purchases of Russian oil...."

"...Trump used a broken escalator and his inoperable teleprompter to underscore his deeper complaints about the United Nations...."

"...But Trump’s gripes with the UN went well beyond its malfunctioning equipment...."

"...Trump is hardly the only one who has questioned the efficacy of the UN, which has seen its relevance wane dramatically over the last decade. A gridlocked Security Council and layers of rigid bureaucracy have made it difficult for the body to live up to its objective of promoting global peace and stability...."

"...Trump, however, has gone further in eroding its stature, slashing the money the US spends on the institution and cutting funding for foreign humanitarian aid and peacekeeping operations. He’s also withdrawn from the UN’s cultural, health and human rights arms...."

"...On Tuesday, he also seemed irked that the UN had ignored his efforts to end global conflicts...."

"...Trump’s speech began without a teleprompter, but as he meandered into various tangents, it seemed like he didn’t really need one...."

"...He went into digressions about his crime reduction efforts in US cities, Barack Obama’s carbon footprint, his own stymied efforts to renovate the UN’s headquarters, and the efficacy of windmills...."

"...If there was a through line, it was his criticism of how most of the world — and the UN itself — is handling matters, and an accounting of how his approach is better. Even for Trump, however, the detours were striking...."

"...His audience of global delegates didn’t offer any audible reaction, beyond laughing at his description of meeting Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva backstage...."

"...He went well beyond the 15-minute limit for leaders’ speeches, though he would hardly be the only world leader to extend past his slotted time...."

"...This story has been updated with additional comments from Trump...."