President Donald Trump on Sept. 23 addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Speaking for about an hour, he pulled no punches yet kept the tone mostly light and optimistic. Still, he made it clear that the United States was back, large and in charge. Trump had both words of hope and words of warning – the latter directed largely at the countries of Europe. That was appropriate, since America is beginning to ripple with some of the cultural turbulence that is currently racking the continent across the Atlantic.
It started with some lighthearted jokes about his malfunctioning teleprompter and a broken-down escalator in the UN building. That drew some laughter from his audience.
According to media reports, though, these may have been more than mere electrical and technical glitches. The UK’s Sunday Times reported, “To mark Trump’s arrival, UN staff members have joked that they may turn off the escalators and elevators and simply tell him they ran out of money, so he has to walk up the stairs.”
Trump did not get any laughs when he called out the United Nations for its lack of effort as he worked to resolve several conflicts around the world.
“Later, I realized that the United Nations wasn’t there for us – they weren’t there,” the president recalled. “That being the case, what is the purpose of the United Nations?” He went on, “The UN has such tremendous potential. I’ve always said it. It has such tremendous, tremendous potential – but it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential.”
Moving on to the subject of “green” energy and climate change, President Trump was met with a stony silence when he described the UN’s favorite subject as “the greatest con-job ever perpetrated on the world.” Trump expounded:
“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.”
President Trump also admonished the member-states that recently recognized a Palestinian state, saying the reward would be too great for Hamas. He berated European countries for buying Russian oil, thus financing that country’s ongoing military assault on Ukraine.
He also spoke at length on “the crime of uncontrolled migration,” telling, presumably, the leaders of Western European nations, “Your countries are being ruined.” He accused the United Nations of “funding an assault on western countries” by providing financial and other assistance to migrants.
Closing on a more optimistic note, Trump described a future of cooperation between sovereign nations, countries living in peace while prioritizing their own interests:
“So together, let us uphold our sacred duty to our people and to our citizens. Let us protect their borders, ensure their safety, preserve their cultures, treasure, and traditions – and fight, fight, fight for their precious dreams and their cherished freedoms. And in friendship and, really, a beautiful vision, let us all work together to build a bright, beautiful planet.”
Tensions between the United Nations and the United States do not appear to have eased. While Trump is almost certainly more respected than either Joe Biden or Barack Obama, the latter two presidents were more amenable to UN demands. More than that, however, this vast globalist club likely views the United States as a threat to its agenda. It is, after all, the only remaining country on earth that is both powerful and free. And while probably a great many Trump supporters would prefer it if America walked away from the United Nations altogether, they can at least console themselves with the knowledge that the 47th president put the United Nations on notice: At least on his watch, America will remain both free and powerful.