U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday in a combative speech in which he touted his own accomplishments, issued a dire warning to North Korea’s “Rocket Man” and said some areas of the world “are going to hell.”
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Trump’s speech to the 72nd gathering of 193 nations in New York lasted nearly 40 minutes.
Here are some of the highlights:
Accomplishments
Like many of his press conferences, Trump began his General Assembly address by touting his own accomplishments since winning last year’s election.
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“Fortunately, the United States has done very well since Election Day last November 8th,” Trump said. “The stock market is at an all-time high, a record. Unemployment is at its lowest level in 16 years, and because of our regulatory and other reforms, we have more people working in the United States today than ever before.
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“Companies are moving back, creating job growth the likes of which our country has not seen in a very long time,” the president said.
‘America First’
Trump took his campaign slogan and his administration’s policy of “America first” to the General Assembly, telling countries to act in their own best-interest first and come together when faced with a shared threat.
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“Our government’s first duty is to its people, to our citizens, to serve their needs, to ensure their safety, to preserve their rights and to defend their values,” Trump said. “As president of the United States, I will always put America first, just like you, as the leaders of your countries, will always and should always put your countries first.”
Trump noted that at times working “in close harmony and unity” would create a better future for the world, but the U.S. will no longer be taken advantage of.
“The United States will forever be a great friend to the world, and especially to its allies. But we can no longer be taken advantage of or enter into a one-sided deal where the United States gets nothing in return,” Trump said. “As long as I hold this office, I will defend America’s interest above all else. But in fulfilling our obligations to our own nations, we also realize that it’s in everyone’s interest to seek a future where all nations can be sovereign, prosperous and secure.”
North Korea and Iran
Trump issued a dire warning to North Korea and its leader Kim Jung Un (Rocket Man as he called him): the U.S. is ready to use force if the North doesn’t put an end to its nuclear program.
“The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime,” Trump said. “The United States is ready, willing and able. But hopefully, this will not be necessary. That’s what the United Nations is all about. That’s what the United Nations is for. Let’s see how they do.”
Trump called Iran an “economically depleted rogue state” whose chief export is violence. Trump touched on Iran’s nuclear arms program and the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor, Barack Obama.
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“We cannot let a murderous regime continue these destabilizing activities while building dangerous missiles. And we cannot abide by an agreement if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear program,” Trump said. “The Iran deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into. Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States, and I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it, believe me.”
Some countries are ‘going to hell’
Trump flat out told the UN that some parts of the world are “going to hell.”
“Major portions of the world are in conflict and some, in fact, are going to hell,” Trump said. “But the powerful people in this room, under the guidance and auspices of the United Nations can solve many of these vicious and complex problems.”
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