Donald Trump's speech to the United Nations was one of the clearest expositions of the way he sees the world, his ideology in its rawest form. To his supporters, it will be seen as Trumpism unplugged - to his critics, Trumpism unhinged.
Over almost an hour, he took aim at his opponents and their ideas, picking them off one by one as he toured the world. He began at home, praising the United States and himself. He claimed the US was living through a golden age and repeated his much-disputed assertion that he had personally ended seven wars, something he argued merited a Nobel Peace Prize.
However, he criticized the UN for not aiding his peace-making efforts, questioning its effectiveness and arguing that it merely produces strongly worded letters without action. His contentious remarks about the UN's role in supporting asylum seekers drew attention as he insisted, The UN is supposed to stop invasions, not create them and not finance them.
Trump's dissatisfaction extended to Europe, where he attacked investments in renewable energy and migration policies, warning that they posed grave threats to the continent's traditional values. He controversially labeled climate change as the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.
Amidst the backdrop of the Russian war on Ukraine, Trump noted that European nations need to halt their purchases of Russian energy and signaled a readiness to impose hefty tariffs if necessary.
The speech represented a combination of bravado and defiance, a defense of American nationalism juxtaposed with global critiques—yet it elicited little reaction from the assembly, contrasting sharply with the laughter his previous addresses had garnered. Six years ago, Trump's audience at the UN laughed at his questionable assertions; this year they listened largely in silence.
Over almost an hour, he took aim at his opponents and their ideas, picking them off one by one as he toured the world. He began at home, praising the United States and himself. He claimed the US was living through a golden age and repeated his much-disputed assertion that he had personally ended seven wars, something he argued merited a Nobel Peace Prize.
However, he criticized the UN for not aiding his peace-making efforts, questioning its effectiveness and arguing that it merely produces strongly worded letters without action. His contentious remarks about the UN's role in supporting asylum seekers drew attention as he insisted, The UN is supposed to stop invasions, not create them and not finance them.
Trump's dissatisfaction extended to Europe, where he attacked investments in renewable energy and migration policies, warning that they posed grave threats to the continent's traditional values. He controversially labeled climate change as the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.
Amidst the backdrop of the Russian war on Ukraine, Trump noted that European nations need to halt their purchases of Russian energy and signaled a readiness to impose hefty tariffs if necessary.
The speech represented a combination of bravado and defiance, a defense of American nationalism juxtaposed with global critiques—yet it elicited little reaction from the assembly, contrasting sharply with the laughter his previous addresses had garnered. Six years ago, Trump's audience at the UN laughed at his questionable assertions; this year they listened largely in silence.
