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 said the US was living through a golden age and repeated his much-disputed claim that he had personally ended seven wars, something he argued merited a Nobel Peace Prize.
However, the president laid into his hosts. The UN, he said, had not helped his peace-making. He questioned the organisation's purpose, claiming it had tremendous potential but was not living up to that. All it did, he said, was write strongly worded letters that it did not follow up. Empty words, he claimed, did not end wars.
He attacked the UN for the aid it gave to asylum seekers hoping to enter the US, stating, The UN is supposed to stop invasions, not create them and not finance them. He even criticized the UN for a broken escalator and teleprompter that disrupted his visit and speech.
On one level, he has a point. Many analysts question the effectiveness of the UN in resolving conflict these days, pointing to gridlock in the Security Council and the body's unresponsive bureaucracy.
But on another level, Trump can himself be seen as both a cause and symptom of the UN's lack of effectiveness, for he believes global crises are best resolved by powerful men like him getting together and hammering out a deal, rather than using multilateral bodies like the UN to work out collective solutions. Under Trump, the US has withdrawn much of its UN funding, leaving the body forced to cut its humanitarian work around the world.
Trump saved perhaps his biggest criticism for his European allies, attacking the continent for investing in renewable energy and opening its borders to migration. Europe is in serious trouble. They have been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody has ever seen before… Both the immigration and suicidal energy ideas will be the death of Western Europe, he said.
He dismissed climate change as the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world, criticizing European nations for expensive energy policies.
Culturally, Trump's criticism of Europe reflects his belief that uncontrolled immigration threatens what he sees as the Judeo-Christian heritage of the continent. He emphasized the importance of protecting religious liberty, particularly for Christians.
He also addressed the ongoing war in Ukraine, suggesting that President Putin's refusal to end the conflict was not making Russia look good and warned European nations to cease buying Russian energy.
In stark contrast to his previous appearances, where laughter punctuated his speeches, Trump's audience at the UN listened largely in silence this year, reflecting heightened global tensions and a growing skepticism toward his rhetoric. I am really good at this stuff, he told world leaders. Your countries are going to hell.\
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 said the US was living through a golden age and repeated his much-disputed claim that he had personally ended seven wars, something he argued merited a Nobel Peace Prize.
However, the president laid into his hosts. The UN, he said, had not helped his peace-making. He questioned the organisation's purpose, claiming it had tremendous potential but was not living up to that. All it did, he said, was write strongly worded letters that it did not follow up. Empty words, he claimed, did not end wars.
He attacked the UN for the aid it gave to asylum seekers hoping to enter the US, stating, The UN is supposed to stop invasions, not create them and not finance them. He even criticized the UN for a broken escalator and teleprompter that disrupted his visit and speech.
On one level, he has a point. Many analysts question the effectiveness of the UN in resolving conflict these days, pointing to gridlock in the Security Council and the body's unresponsive bureaucracy.
But on another level, Trump can himself be seen as both a cause and symptom of the UN's lack of effectiveness, for he believes global crises are best resolved by powerful men like him getting together and hammering out a deal, rather than using multilateral bodies like the UN to work out collective solutions. Under Trump, the US has withdrawn much of its UN funding, leaving the body forced to cut its humanitarian work around the world.
Trump saved perhaps his biggest criticism for his European allies, attacking the continent for investing in renewable energy and opening its borders to migration. Europe is in serious trouble. They have been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody has ever seen before… Both the immigration and suicidal energy ideas will be the death of Western Europe, he said.
He dismissed climate change as the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world, criticizing European nations for expensive energy policies.
Culturally, Trump's criticism of Europe reflects his belief that uncontrolled immigration threatens what he sees as the Judeo-Christian heritage of the continent. He emphasized the importance of protecting religious liberty, particularly for Christians.
He also addressed the ongoing war in Ukraine, suggesting that President Putin's refusal to end the conflict was not making Russia look good and warned European nations to cease buying Russian energy.
In stark contrast to his previous appearances, where laughter punctuated his speeches, Trump's audience at the UN listened largely in silence this year, reflecting heightened global tensions and a growing skepticism toward his rhetoric. I am really good at this stuff, he told world leaders. Your countries are going to hell.\
