In an all-encompassing and combative speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), US President Donald Trump criticised the UN and European leaders and addressed issues ranging from the sweeping recognition of a Palestinian state to climate change.
Trump was the second president to deliver his address after Brazil’s Luiz Lula da Silva on Tuesday at the opening of the general debate.
The US president was granted 15 minutes to speak but conveyed his message in just under one hour.
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Here are five key highlights from Trump’s speech.
‘FAULTY ESCALATORS, BROKEN INSTITUTION’– TRUMP HITS UN
As the US president headed to the UN building earlier, the escalator he was riding stopped, and he opened his speech with blunt remarks about the incident.
Trump complained that his teleprompter was not working and that the escalator he rode malfunctioned while he and Melania, the first lady, were on it.
“These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter,” he said, adding that if Melania was not in “great shape”, she would have taken a fall.
“Whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble,” he added.
Trump questioned the UN’s efficacy and criticised the institution for not helping him during negotiations to end the wars he “solved”.
“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” he asked.
“It’s not even coming close to living up to its potential. It’s empty words, and empty words don’t solve wars.”
He also accused the UN of “funding an assault on Western countries” by working to “facilitate” migration.
JABS AT EUROPEAN LEADERS OVER ROLE IN RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Trump also addressed the Russia-Ukraine war.
The US president said he thought it would be the easiest conflict to solve because of his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which had always been ”a good one”.
“In war, you don’t know what’s going to happen; there are always lots of surprises, both good and bad,” he said.
Trump said the Russian invasion of Ukraine was ”supposed to be a quick little skirmish, adding that its protracted length makes Moscow look bad, not good.
He, however, blamed European leaders for the ongoing conflict.
The US president said some North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries have “not cut off” Russian energy products, noting that by doing this, they are “funding the war against themselves”.
“It’s embarrassing to them, and it was very embarrassing to them when I found out about it,” Trump said.
“They have to immediately cease all energy purchases from Russia. Otherwise, we’re all wasting a lot of time.”
Trump said the US is prepared to impose “a very strong round of powerful tariffs” on Russia if it is not ready to make a deal to end the war, but for this to be effective, European nations need to join his country in “adopting the exact same measures”.
The US president said he is ready to discuss the proposal later.
DISAPPROVAL AT RECOGNITION OF PALESTINE
Over the weekend, the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, and Australia formally recognised Palestine as a state. The decision was met with wide approval and a sharp rejection from Israel.
Trump said the recognition “would be a reward” for Hamas’s atrocities.
The US president said he had been involved in trying to get a ceasefire in Gaza, adding that the negotiating parties “have to get it done”.
He added that those who want peace should be united in one message: “Release the hostages now.”
That line received applause in the room.
‘CLIMATE CHANGE IS A CON JOB’
Trump dismissed the long-established scientific idea of global warming, calling climate change the ”greatest con job ever perpetrated in the world”.
“No more global warming, no more global cooling,” he said.
He described climate change predictions as “wrong” and made by ”stupid people” and also criticised green energy policies as mechanisms to loot the US.
“The primary effect of these brutal green energy policies has not been to help the environment but to redistribute manufacturing and industrial activity from developed countries that follow the insane rules that are put down to polluting countries that break the rules and are making a fortune,” Trump said.
He pushed for “energy dominance”, anchored on oil, gas, coal and nuclear — while dismissing clean energy as unsustainable.
There were audible gasps in the room when he spoke on the matter.
MIGRATION
Trump took his crackdown on migrants to UNGA as he criticised other nations’ immigration policies.
He said European leaders would be wise if they mimicked his handling of illegal migrants in the US.
“Once we started detaining and deporting everyone who crossed the border — and removing illegal aliens from the United States — they simply stopped coming,” he said.
Instead, Trump said, “Europe is in serious trouble.”
The US president lamented that “illegal aliens are pouring in” and said the European leaders are doing “absolutely nothing about it”.
“You’re doing it because you want to be nice. You want to be politically correct, and you’re destroying your heritage,” he added.
Later, Trump said his speech was “well received”.
