US President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on the United Nations during his first address to the General Assembly since returning to the White House, accusing the global body of failing to bring peace and fueling illegal migration.
Trump claimed the UN was encouraging an “assault” on Western countries through migration, warning that these nations were “going to hell.” He also dismissed climate change concerns as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” ridiculing international environmental efforts.
“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump asked, mocking it for producing “empty words” through strongly worded letters that, in his view, fail to stop wars.
He even joked about the UN’s facilities, saying, “These are the two things I got from the United Nations, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter.”
Highlighting his claims of winding down seven wars, Trump admitted little progress in resolving Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s conflict in Gaza. He denounced allies for recognizing a Palestinian state, calling it a “reward” for Hamas, and accused European nations, China, and India of undermining sanctions by continuing oil purchases from Russia.
Trump also doubled down on his anti-migration stance, insisting the UN was “funding an assault” on the West and declaring, “It’s time to end the failed experiment of open borders.” He singled out London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan, the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital, in his broadside.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres countered Trump’s rhetoric by warning that US-led aid cuts were “wreaking havoc” worldwide. He stressed the need to choose “a world of laws” over one ruled by raw power.
Trump is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Argentina’s President Javier Milei during the summit. His earlier meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which broke Moscow’s diplomatic isolation, produced no breakthrough on Ukraine.
In a security twist, US Secret Service agents revealed they had foiled a “telecommunications-related” plot involving more than 100,000 weaponised cellphone SIM cards allegedly controlled by state-backed hackers, aimed at disrupting communications around the UN district.
What you should know
Trump’s fiery return to the UN reflects his nationalist stance in his second term, marked by withdrawing from global agreements, slashing aid, and clashing with allies.
His sharp rebuke of migration, climate change policies, and multilateralism underscores his push to redefine US foreign policy on his own terms.
