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President Trump has again journeyed to the United Nations to deliver remarks, the transcript of which may be accessed HERE (with thanks to the folks at The Rev Blog) It was widely reported, and even more widely commented on by those already ready with their responses. This is theater, and a very necessary one for the theatrical element of managing the masses and the narratives of power. It is also semiotics-- the speech was a necessary object--the character of which was both video and text both of which were meant to incarnate the significs of the President's policy objectives and as well the normative premises that make these both necessary and inevitable. The projection was into the realms of collective interpretation--to perform a structure of reality the premises of which deepen the logic of the textual projectiles launched in the address.
The President has done this before, in 2019 (Remarks by President Trump to the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly). And perhaps before one ventures too deeply into the mud of an analysis that will necessarily reveal more about the analyst than about the object analyzed, it might be useful to compare the speeches. And no, in the first instance I am not about to do this for my readers. I would much prefer to offer my own reflections after one has done the work of reading these for oneself and coming away from that reading with one's own sense of its meaning--at least for them.
President Trump, of course, has his own gloss on his text: At UN, President Trump Champions Sovereignty, Rejects Globalism.
Today, in remarks to the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Donald J. Trump delivered a powerful rebuke to the destructive globalism that has fueled endless conflict and chaos around the world. During the address, President Trump was unapologetic in proclaiming American strength as he unveiled a bold vision for sovereign nations to unite against the true threats of terrorism, unchecked migration, biological warfare, and loss of cultural identity.
The full text, with the President's summary of what he thought were the high points of the 2025 speech also follows below. From a semiotic perspective he was wise to produce this summary--the people he wants to reach at the grass roots are more likely to read a page of text than to wade through the text of a 55 minute speech.
The one thing that is worth noting, beyond a general consistency at a broad level of generality, is the great gulf between the hysterics of commentary--which see in these speeches a consumable meant to feed their own discursive objectives--and what might be a fair reading of text (even if after that reading one comes away with a deep sense either of agreement, disagreement, or indifference--the last not to be underestimated in its power)
The text of both speeches follow in full below. My own reflections will follow in due course.
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Trump Speaks at U.N.
23 September 2025
Donald Trump addresses the United Nations General Assembly. Read the transcript here.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
The Assembly will hear an address by His Excellency, Donald Trump, President of the United States of America. I request protocol to escort His Excellency and invite him to address the Assembly.
US President Donald Trump (00:27):
Thank you very much, very much appreciated. And I don't mind making the speech without a teleprompter, because the teleprompter is not working. I feel very happy to be up here with you nevertheless, and that way you speak more from the heart. I can only say that whoever's operating this teleprompter is in big trouble. Hello, Madam First Lady. Thank you very much for being here. Madam President, Mr. Secretary General, First Lady of the United States, distinguished delegates, ambassadors, and world leaders. Six years have passed since I last stood in this grand hall and addressed a world that was prosperous and at peace in my first term. Since that day, the guns of war have shattered the peace I forged on two continents. An era of calm and stability gave way to one of the great crises of our time. And here the United States, four years of weakness, lawlessness, and radicalism under the last administration delivered our nation into a repeated set of disasters. One year ago, our country was in deep trouble, but today, just eight months into my administration, we are the hottest country anywhere in the world and there is no other country even close. America is blessed with the strongest economy, the strongest borders, the strongest military, the strongest friendships, and the strongest spirit of any nation on the face of the earth.
(02:53)
This
is indeed, the golden age of America. We are rapidly reversing the
economic calamity we inherited from the previous administration,
including ruinous price increases and record-setting inflation,
inflation like we've never had before. Under my leadership, energy costs
are down, gasoline prices are down, grocery prices are down, mortgage
rates are down, and inflation has been defeated. The only thing that's
up is the stock market, which just hit a record high. In fact, it hit a
record high 48 times in the last short period of time. Growth is
surging. Manufacturing is booming. The stock market, as I said, is doing
better than it's ever done. And all of you in this room benefit by
that, almost everybody. And importantly, workers wages are rising at the
fastest pace in more than 60 years, and that's what it's all about,
isn't it? In four years of President Biden, we had less than $1 trillion
of new investment into the United States.
(04:13)
In
just eight months since I took office, we have secured commitments and
money already paid for $17 trillion. Think of it, four years, less than a
trillion. Eight months, much more than $17 trillion is being invested
in the United States, and it's now pouring in from all parts of the
world. We've implemented the largest tax cuts in American history and
the largest regulation cuts in American history, making this once and
again, the best country on earth to do business. And many of the people
in this room are investing in America, and it's turned out to be an
awfully good investment during this eight month period. In my first
term, I built the greatest economy in the history of the world. We had
the best economy ever, history of the world, and I'm doing the same
thing again, but this time it's actually much bigger and even better.
The numbers far surpass my record-setting first term.
(05:21)
On
our southern border, we have successfully repelled a colossal invasion.
And for the last four months, and that's four months in a row, the
number of illegal aliens admitted and entering our country has been
zero. Hard to believe, because if you look back just a year ago, it was
millions and millions of people pouring in from all over the world, from
prisons, from mental institutions, drug dealers, all over the world
they came, they just poured into our country with the ridiculous
open-border policy of the Biden administration. Our message is very
simple. If you come illegally into the United States, you're going to
jail or you're going back to where you came from, or perhaps even
further than that, you know what that means.
(06:15)
I
want thank the country of El Salvador for the successful and
professional job they've done in receiving and jailing so many criminals
that entered our country, and it was under the previous administration
that the number became record-setting, and they're all being taken out.
We have no choice, and other countries have no choice because other
countries are in the exact same situation with immigration. It's
destroying your country and you have to do something about it. On the
world stage, America is respected again like it has never been respected
before. You think about two years ago, three years ago, four years ago,
or one year ago, we were a laughingstock all over the world. At the
NATO summit in June, virtually all NATO members formally committed to
increased defense spending at my request from 2% to 5% of GDP, making
our alliance far stronger and more powerful than it was ever before.
(07:25)
In
May, I traveled to the Middle East to visit my friends and rebuild our
partnerships in the Gulf, and those valued relationships with Saudi
Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE and other countries are now, I believe,
closer than ever before. My administration has negotiated one historic
trade deal after another, including with the United Kingdom, the
European Union, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines,
Malaysia, and many, many others. Likewise, in a period of just seven
months, I have ended seven unendable wars. They said they were
unendable. You're never going to get them solved. Some were going for 31
years, two of them, 31, you think of it, 31 years. One was 36 years,
one was 28 years. I ended seven wars. And in all cases, they were raging
with countless thousands of people being killed. This includes Cambodia
and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, the Congo and Rwanda, a vicious,
violent war that was. Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, Egypt and
Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.
(08:51)
It
included all of them. No president or prime minister. And for that
matter, no other country has ever done anything close to that, and I did
it in just seven months. It's never happened before. There's never been
anything like that. Very honored to have done it. It's too bad that I
had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them. And
sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any
of them. I ended seven wars, dealt with the leaders of each and every
one of these countries, and never even received a phone call from the
United Nations offering to help in finalizing the deal. All I got from
the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up stopped right in
the middle. If the First Lady wasn't in great shape, she would've
fallen. But she's in great shape.
(09:51)
We're
both in good shape, we both stood. And then a teleprompter that didn't
work. These are the two things I got from the United Nations, a bad
escalator and a bad teleprompter. Thank you very much. And by the way,
it's working now. It just went on. Thank you. I think I should just do
it the other way. It's easier. Thank you very much. I didn't think of it
at the time because I was too busy working to save millions of lives,
that is the saving and stopping of these wars, but later I realized that
the United Nations wasn't there for us. They weren't there. I thought
of it really after the fact, not during. Not during these negotiations,
which were not easy. That being the case, what is the purpose of the
United Nations? The UN is 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. For the most part, at least
for now, all they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter
and then never follow that letter up.
(11:05)
It's
empty words and empty words don't solve war. The only thing that solves
war and wars is action. Now, after ending all of these wars and also
earlier negotiating the Abraham Accords, which is a very big thing for
which our country received no credit, never receives credit. Everyone
says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize for each one of these
achievements, but for me, the real prize will be the sons and daughters
who live to grow up with the mothers and fathers because millions of
people are no longer being killed in endless and un-glorious wars. What I
care about is not winning prizes. It's saving lives. We saved millions
and millions of lives with the seven wars, and we have others that we're
working on and you know that. Many years ago, a very successful real
estate developer in New York, known as Donald J. Trump, I bid on the
renovation and rebuilding of this very United Nations complex.
(12:14)
I
remember it so well. I said at the time that I would do it for $500
million, rebuilding everything. It would be beautiful. I used to talk
about, "I'm going to give you marble floors, they're going to give you
terrazzo." The best of everything. "You're going to have mahogany walls,
they're going to give you plastic." But they decided to go in another
direction, which was much more expensive at the time, which actually
produced a far inferior product. And I realized that they did not know
what they were doing when it came to construction and that their
building concepts were so wrong, and the product that they were
proposing to build was so bad and so costly, it was going to cost them a
fortune. And I said, "And wait until you see the overruns." Well, I
turned out to be right. They had massive cost overruns and spent between
two and $4 billion on the building and did not even get the marble
floors that I promised them.
(13:15)
You
walk on terrazzo. Do you notice that? As far as I'm concerned, frankly,
looking at the building and getting stuck on the escalator, they still
haven't finished the job. They still haven't finished. That was years
ago. The project was so corrupt that Congress actually asked me to
testify before them on the tremendous waste of money because it turned
out that they had no idea what it was, but they knew it was anywhere
between two and $4 billion as opposed to 500 million with a guarantee,
but they had no idea. And I said, "It costs much more than $5 billion."
Unfortunately, many things in the United Nations are happening just like
that, but on an even much bigger scale, much, much bigger.
(14:04)
Very
sad to see whether the UN can manage to play a productive role. I've
come here today to offer the hand of American leadership and friendship
to any nation in this assembly that is willing to join us in forging a
safer, more prosperous world. And it's a world that we'll be much
happier with. A dramatically better future is within our reach, but to
get there, we must reject the failed approaches of the past and work
together to confront some of the greatest threats in history. There is
no more serious danger to our planet today than the most powerful and
destructive weapons ever devised by man of which the United States, as
you know, has many. Just as I did in my first term. I've made containing
these
US President Donald Trump (15:00):
… these threats a top priority, starting with a nation of Iran. My position is very simple, the world's number one sponsor of terror can never be allowed to possess the most dangerous weapon. That's why shortly after taking office, I sent the so-called Supreme Leader a letter making a generous offer. I extended a pledge of full cooperation in exchange for a suspension of Iran's nuclear program. The regime's answer was to continue their constant threats to their neighbors and US interests throughout the region and some great countries that are right nearby. Today, many of Iran's former military commanders, in fact, I can say almost all of them are no longer with us, they're dead. And three months ago in Operation Midnight Hammer seven American B-2 bombers dropped the 14 30,000 pound H-bombs on Iran's key nuclear facility totally obliterating everything. No other country on earth could have done what we did. No other country has the equipment to do what we did. We have the greatest weapons on earth. We hate to use them, but we did something that for 22 years people wanted to do.
(16:25)
With
Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity demolished, I immediately brokered
an end to the 12-day war, as it's called, between Israel and Iran, with
both sides agreeing to fight no longer.
(16:40)
As
everyone knows, I have also been deeply engaged in seeking a ceasefire
in Gaza, we have to get that done, have to get it done. Unfortunately,
Hamas has repeatedly rejected reasonable offers to make peace, and we
can't forget October 7th, can we? Now, as if to encourage continued
conflict, some of this body is seeking to unilaterally recognize a
Palestinian state. The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists
for their atrocities. This would be a reward for these horrible
atrocities, including October 7th, even while they refuse to release the
hostages or accept a ceasefire instead of giving to Hamas and giving so
much because they've taken so much, they have taken so much, this could
have been solved so long ago, but instead of giving in to Hamas ransom
demands, those who want peace should be united with one message, release
the hostages now. Just release the hostages now. Thank you.
(18:03)
As
we have got to come together, and we will come together, got to get it
done, we have to stop the war in Gaza immediately. We have to stop it.
We have to get it done. We have to negotiate, immediately, have to
negotiate peace. We got to get the hostages back. We want all 20 back.
We don't want two and four. As you know, I got, along with Steve Witkoff
and others that helped us, Marco Rubio, we got most of them back. We
were involved in all of them, but I always said, the last 20 are going
to be the hardest, and that's exactly what happened. We have to get them
back now. We don't want to get back two and then another two and then
one, and then three and have this process. No, we want them all back.
(18:45)
And
we want the actually 38 dead bodies back too. Those parents came to me
and they want them back, and they want them back very quickly and very
badly, as though they were alive. They want them. They want them every
bit as much as if their son or daughter were alive.
(19:02)
I've
also been working relentlessly stopping the killing in Ukraine. I
thought that would be, of the seven wars that I stopped, I thought that
would be the easiest because of my relationship with President Putin,
which had always been a good one. I thought that was going to be the
easiest one. But in war, you never know what's going to happen. There
are always lots of surprises, both good and bad. Everyone thought Russia
would win this war in three days, but it didn't work out that way. It
was supposed to be just a quick little skirmish. It's not making Russia
look good, it's making them look bad.
(19:43)
No
matter what happens from here on out, this was something that should
have taken a matter of days, certainly less than a week, and they've
been fighting for three and a half years and killing anywhere from 5 to
7,000, young soldiers, mostly, mostly soldiers on both sides, every
single week from 5 to 7,000 dead young people. And some in cities, much
smaller numbers where rockets are shot, where drones are dropped. This
war would never have started if I were president. This was a war that
should have never happened. It shows you what leadership is, what bad
leadership can do to a country. Look what happened to the United States
and look where we are right now in just a short period of time. The only
question now is how many more lives will be needlessly lost on both
sides.
(20:40)
China
and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to
purchase Russian oil. But inexcusably, even NATO countries have not cut
off much Russian energy and Russian energy products, which as you know, I
found out about two weeks ago and I wasn't happy. Think of it, they're
funding the war against themselves. Who the hell ever heard of that one?
In the event that Russia is not ready to make a deal to end the war,
then the United States is fully prepared to impose a very strong round
of powerful tariffs, which would stop the bloodshed, I believe very
quickly. But for those tariffs to be effective, European nations, all of
you are gathered here right now, would have to join us in adopting the
exact same measures. I mean, you're much closer to the city. We have an
ocean in between, you're right there, and Europe has to step it up. They
can't be doing what they're doing. They're buying oil and gas from
Russia while they're fighting Russia.
(21:51)
It's
embarrassing to them, and it was very embarrassing to them when I found
out about it. I can tell you that. But they have to immediately cease
all energy purchases from Russia. Otherwise, we're all wasting a lot of
time. So I'm ready to discuss this. We're going to discuss it today with
the European nations all gathered here. I'm sure they're thrilled to
hear me speak about it, but that's the way it is. I like to speak my
mind and speak the truth.
(22:20)
As
we seek to reduce the threat of dangerous weapons today. I'm also
calling on every nation to join us in ending the development of
biological weapons once and for all, and biological is terrible and
nuclear is even beyond, and we include nuclear in that. We want to have a
cessation of the development of nuclear weapons. We know and I know and
I get to view it all the time, "Sir, would you like to see?" And I look
at weapons that are so powerful that we just can't ever use them. If we
ever use them, the world literally might come to an end. There would be
no United Nations to be talking about. There would be no nothing.
(23:06)
Just
a few years ago, reckless experiments overseas gave us a devastating
global pandemic, yet despite that worldwide catastrophe, many countries
are continuing extremely risky research into bio-weapons and man-made
pathogens. This is unbelievably dangerous. To prevent potential
disasters I'm announcing today that my administration will lead a
international effort to enforce biological weapons convention, which is
going to be meeting with the top leaders of the world by pioneering an
AI verification system that everyone can trust. Hopefully the UN can
play a constructive role and it will also go, be one of the early
projects under AI. Let's see how good it is because a lot of people
saying it could be one of the great things ever, but it also can be
dangerous, but it could be put to tremendous use and tremendous good,
and this would be an example of that.
(24:06)
Not
only is the UN not solving the problems it should, too often, it's
actually creating new problems for us to solve. The best example is the
number one political issue of our time, the crisis of uncontrolled
migration. It's uncontrolled. Your countries are being ruined. The
United Nations is funding an assault on Western countries and their
borders. In 2024, the UN budgeted $372 million in cash assistance to
support an estimated 624,000 migrants journeying into the United States.
Think of that, the UN is supporting people that are illegally coming
into the United States, and then we have to get them out. The UN also
provided food, shelter, transportation, and debit cards to illegal
aliens, can you believe that, on the way to infiltrate our southern
border.
(25:04)
Millions
of people came through that southern border. Just a year ago, millions
and millions of people were pouring in, 25 million altogether over the
four years of the incompetent Biden administration, and now we have it
stopped. Totally stopped. In fact, they're not even coming anymore
because they know they can't get through. But what took place is totally
unacceptable. The UN is supposed to stop invasions, not create them and
not finance them. In the United States, we reject the idea that mass
numbers of people from foreign lands can be permitted to travel halfway
around the world, trample our borders, violate our sovereignty, cause
unmitigated crime, and deplete our social safety net.
(25:51)
We
have reasserted that America belongs to the American people, and I
encourage all countries to take their own stand in defense of their
citizens as well. You have to do that because I see it. I'm not
mentioning names. I see it and I can call every single one of them out.
You're destroying your countries. They're being destroyed. Europe is in
serious trouble. They've been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like
nobody's ever seen before. Illegal aliens are pouring into Europe, and
nobody's doing anything to change it, to get them out. It's not
sustainable. And because they choose to be politically correct, they're
doing just absolutely nothing about it.
(26:43)
And
I have to say, I look at London where you have a terrible mayor, a
terrible, terrible mayor and it's been so changed, so changed. Now they
want to go to Sharia law, but you're in a different country, you can't
do that. Both the immigration and their suicidal energy ideas will be
the death of Western Europe if something is not done immediately. This
cannot be sustained. What makes the world so beautiful is that each
country is unique, but to stay this way, every sovereign nation must
have the right to control their own borders. You have the right to
control your borders, as we do now, and to limit the sheer numbers of
migrants entering their countries and paid for by the people of that
nation that were there and that built that particular nation at the
time. They put their blood, sweat, tears, money into that country, and
now they're being ruined.
(27:44)
Proud
nations must be allowed to protect their communities and prevent their
societies from being overwhelmed by people they have never seen before
with different customs, religions, with different everything. Where
migrants have violated laws, lodged false asylum claims or claimed
refugee status for illegitimate reasons, they should, in many cases, be
immediately sent home. And while we will always have a big heart for
places and people that are struggling and truly compassionate, answers
will be given. We have to solve the problem and we have to solve it in
their countries, not create new problems in our countries. And we are
very helpful to a lot of countries that are just not able to send their
people anymore. They used to send them to us in caravans of 25, 30,000
people each, these massive caravans of people pouring into our country,
totally unchecked and unvetted, but not anymore.
(28:46)
According
to the Council of Europe, in 2024, almost 50% of inmates in German
prisons were foreign nationals or migrants. In Austria, the number was
53% of the people in prisons were from places that weren't from where
they are now. In Greece, the number was 54%. And in Switzerland,
beautiful Switzerland, 72% of the people in prisons are from outside of
Switzerland. When your prisons are filled with so-called asylum seekers
who repaid kindness, and that's what they did, they repaid kindness with
crime, it's time to end the failed experiment of open borders. You have
to end it now. I see it, I can tell you.
(29:31)
I'm
really good at this stuff. Your countries are going to hell. In
America, we've taken bold action to swiftly shut down uncontrolled
migration. Once we started detaining and deporting everyone who crossed
the border and removing illegal aliens from the United States, they
simply stopped coming. They're not coming anymore. We're getting a lot
of credit, but they're not coming anymore. This was a humanitarian act
for all involved because on the trips up,
US President Donald Trump (30:00):
Thousands of people a week were dying. Women were being raped. Nobody's ever seen anything like it. Raped, horribly beaten, raped. On the trip up, the journey up, it was a long, it was a long walk. It was a long, arduous journey indeed, and it was also a historic victory against human trafficking throughout the region. What we did was a victory and we saved so many lives of people that wouldn't make the journey. That journey was loaded up with death. Loaded up with death. Dead bodies all along. All along the roads of jungles to get up. They go through jungles, they go through areas so hot, you couldn't breathe. They were dying of suffocation, areas so hot, that you couldn't breathe. Dead bodies all over. By them not coming, we're saving tremendous numbers of lives. My people have done a fantastic job in doing what they did, and the American public agrees with it.
(31:09)
I
mean, I was very proud to see this morning. I have the highest poll
numbers I've ever had. Part of it is because of what we've done on the
border. I guess the other part is what we've done in the economy. Joe
Biden's policies empowered murderous gangs, human smugglers, child
traffickers, drug cartels, and prisoners. Prisoners from all over the
world. The previous administration also lost nearly 300,000 children.
Think of that. They lost more than 300,000 children, little children who
were trafficked into the United States on the Biden watch, many of whom
have been raped, exploited and abused and sold. Sold. Nobody talks
about that. The fake news doesn't write about it with many others, young
children who are missing or dead. And we found a lot of these children
and we're sending it back and we've been sending it back to their
parents. They said nobody knows who they are.
(32:09)
They
said, "Where do you come from?" And they'll give us a country and we'll
find out and we'll figure it out, or we'll bring them back to their
homes. And the mother and father rushed to the door and their tears in
their eyes. They can't believe that they're seeing their son or
daughter, their little son or daughter again. We've done almost 30,000
of them so far. Any system that results in the mass trafficking of
children is inherently evil, yet that is exactly what the globalist
migration agenda has done, and it's what it's all about. In America,
those days, as you know, are over. The Trump administration is working
and we are continuing to work to track down the villains that are
causing this problem. And also, as I said, to get back the 30,000 we've
already returned.
(32:58)
Now,
I think we're going to have another…. We're going to find a lot. You're
not going to find all of them. More than 300,000. They're lost or
they're dead. They're lost, or they're dead because of the animals that
did this. To protect our citizens, I've also designated multiple savage
drug cartels as forest. And you see this and you see it happening right
before your eyes. Let's put it this way. People don't like taking big
loads of drugs in boats anymore. There aren't too many boats that are
traveling on the seas by Venezuela. They tend not to want to travel very
quickly anymore. And we virtually stopped drugs coming into our country
by sea. We call them the water drugs. They kill hundreds of thousands
of people. I've also designated multiple savage drug cartels as forest…
foreign terrorist organizations along with two bloodthirsty
transnational gangs, probably the worst gangs anywhere in the world.
(34:02)
MS-13
and Tren de Aragua. Tren de Aragua is from Venezuela, by the way. Such
organizations torture, maim, mutilate and murder with impunity. They're
the enemies of all humanity. For this reason, we've recently begun using
the supreme power of the United States military to destroy Venezuelan
terrorists and trafficking networks led by Nicolas Maduro to every
terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of
America. Please be warned that we will blow you out of existence. That's
what we're doing. We have no choice. Can't let it happen. I believe we
lost 300,000 people last year to drugs. 300,000. Fentanyl and other
drugs. Each boat that we sink carries drugs that would kill more than
25,000 Americans. We will not let that happen. Energy is another area
where the United States is now thriving like never before. We're getting
rid of the falsely named renewables.
(35:11)
By
the way, they're a joke. They don't work. They're too expensive.
They're not strong enough to fire up the plants that you need to make
your country great. The wind doesn't blow. Those big windmills are so
pathetic and so bad, so expensive to operate, and they have to be
rebuilt all the time and they start to rust and rot. Most expensive
energy ever conceived. And it's actually energy. You're supposed to make
money with energy, not lose money. You lose money, the governments have
to subsidize. You can't put them out without massive subsidies. And
most of them are built in China, and I give China a lot of credit. They
build them, but they're very few wind farms. So why is it that they
build them and they send them all over the world, but they barely use
them? You know what? They use coal, they use gas, they use almost
anything, but they don't like wind, but they sure as hell like selling
the windmills.
(36:10)
Europe
on the other hand, is a long way to go with many countries being on the
brink of destruction because of the green energy agenda. And I give a
lot of credit to Germany. Germany was being led down a very sick path
both on immigration by the way and on energy. They were going green and
they were going bankrupt. And the new leadership, new leadership came in
and they went back to where they were with fossil fuel and with
nuclear, which is good, it's now safe and you can do it properly. But
they went back to where they were and they opened up a lot of different
plants, energy plants, energy-producing plants, and they're doing well. I
give Germany a lot of credit for that. They've said, this is a
disaster. What's happening? They were going all green. All green is all
bankrupt. That's what it represents.
(37:06)
And
it's not politically correct. I'll be very badly criticized for saying
it, but I'm here to tell the truth. I don't care. It doesn't matter to
me. I'm in New York City, I'm feeling a lot safer. Crime, we're getting
crime down. And by the way, speaking of crime, Washington D.C.,
Washington D.C. was the crime capital of America. Now, it's a totally…
After 12 days, it's a totally safe city. Everyone's going out to dinner,
they're going out to restaurants. Your wife can walk down the middle of
the street with or without you. Nothing's going to happen. My people
have done a fantastic job. And yes, I called in the National Guard and
the National Guard took care of business. And they weren't politically
correct, but they took care of business. We got 1,700 career criminals
out, brought them back to where they came from, the countries where they
came from or put them in jails. Washington D.C. is now a totally safe
city again and I welcome you to come. In fact, we'll have dinner
together at a local restaurant and we'll be able to walk. We don't have
to go by an armor-plated vehicle. We'll walk right over there from the
White House. They've given up their powerful edge. A lot of the
countries that we're talking about and oil and gas, such as essentially
closing the Great North Sea oil. Oh, the North Sea. I know it so well.
Aberdeen was the oil capital of Europe and this tremendous oil that
hasn't been found in the North Sea. Tremendous oil. And I was with the
Prime Minister I respected, like a lot. And I said, "You're sitting with
the greatest asset." They essentially closed it by making it so highly
taxed that no developer, no oil company can go there. They have
tremendous oil left and more importantly, they have tremendous oil that
hasn't even been found yet.
(38:59)
And
what a tremendous asset for the United Kingdom. And I hope the prime
minister's listening because I told it to him three days in a row.
That's all he heard. North Sea oil, North Sea, because I want to see
them do well. I want to stop seeing them ruining that beautiful Scottish
and English countryside with windmills and massive solar panels that go
seven miles by seven miles taken away farmland, but we're not letting
this happen in America. In 1982, the executive director of the United
Nations Environmental Program predicted that by the year 2000, climate
change would cause a global catastrophe. He said that it will be
irreversible as any nuclear holocaust would be. This is what they said
at the United Nations. What happened? Here we are. Another UN official
stated in 1989 that within a decade, entire nations could be wiped off
the map by global warming. Not happening.
(40:04)
It
used to be global cooling. If you look back years ago in the 1920s and
the 1930s, they said, global cooling will kill the world. We have to do
something. Then they said global warming will kill the world. But then
it started getting cooler. So now they could just call it climate change
because that way they can't miss climate change because if it goes
higher or lower, whatever the hell happens, it's climate change. It's
the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world, in my opinion.
Climate change, no matter what happens, you're involved in that. No more
global warming, no more global cooling. All of these predictions made
by the United Nations and many others, often for bad reasons were wrong.
They were made by stupid people that of course their country's fortunes
and given those same countries, no chance for success. If you don't get
away from this green scam, your country is going to fail.
(41:06)
And
I'm really good at predicting things. They actually said during the
campaign, they had a hat, the best-selling hat. Trump was right about
everything. And I don't say that in a braggadocious way, but it's true.
I've been right about everything. And I'm telling you that if you don't
get away from the green energy scam, your country is going to fail. And
if you don't stop people that you've never seen before, that you have
nothing in common with, your country is going to fail. I'm the President
of the United States, but I worry about Europe. I love Europe. I love
the people of Europe, and I hate to see it being devastated by energy
and immigration. This double-tailed monster destroys everything in its
wake, and they cannot let that happen any longer. You're doing it
because you want to be nice, you want to be politically correct and
you're destroying your heritage.
(42:04)
They
must take control strongly and immediately of the unmitigated
immigration disaster and the fake energy catastrophe before it's too
late. The carbon footprint is a hoax made up by people with evil
intentions and they're heading down a path of total destruction. The
carbon footprint, it was a big, big thing. A few years ago, I remember
hearing about the carbon footprint and then President Obama would get
into Air Force One, a massive Boeing 747 and not a new one, an old one
with old engines that spew everything into the atmosphere. He talked
about the carbon footprint, we must do… Then he'd get in and he'd fly
from Washington to Hawaii to play a round of golf, and then he'd get
back onto that big beautiful plane and he'd fly back and he'd talk
about, again, global warming and the carbon footprint. It's a con job at
extreme cost and expense.
(43:09)
Europe
reduced its own carbon footprint by 37%. Think of that. Congratulations
Europe. Great job. You cost yourself a lot of jobs, a lot of factories
closed, but you reduced the carbon footprint by 37%. However, for all of
that sacrifice and much more, it's been totally wiped out and then some
by a global increase of 54%, much of it coming from China and other
countries that are thriving around China, which now produces more CO2
than all the other developed nations in the world. So all of these
countries are working so hard on the carbon footprint, which is nonsense
by the way. It's nonsense. It's interesting. In the United States, we
have still radicalized environmentalists and they want the factories to
stop. Everything should stop. No more cows. We don't want cows anymore. I
guess they want to kill all the cows. They want to do things that are
just unbelievable and you have it too.
(44:16)
But
we have a border, strong, and we have a shape, and that shape doesn't
just go straight up. That shape is amorphous when it comes to the
atmosphere. And if we had the most clean air, and I think we do, we have
very clean air, we have the cleanest air we've had in many, many years.
But the problem is that other countries like China, which has air
that's a little bit rough, it blows. And no matter what you're doing
down here, the air up here tends to get very dirty because it comes in
from other countries where their air isn't so clean and the
environmentalists refuse to acknowledge that. Same thing with garbage.
In
US President Donald Trump (45:00):
In Asia, they dump much of their garbage right into the ocean. And over about a one-week and two-week journey, it flows right past Los Angeles. You've seen it, massive amounts of garbage. Almost too much to do anything about, flowing past Los Angeles, past San Francisco, and then somebody would get in trouble because he dropped a cigarette on the beach. The whole thing is crazy. 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. They're making a fortune.
(45:52)
European
electricity bills are now four to five times more expensive than those
in China, and two to three times higher than the United States, and our
bills are coming way down. You probably see that. Our gasoline prices
are way down. We have an expression drill [foreign language 00:46:18].
Common to see one.
Speaker 2 (46:26):
For example, [foreign language 00:46:28].
US President Donald Trump (46:27):
Electric car system.
Speaker 2 (46:28):
[foreign language 00:46:31].
US President Donald Trump (46:31):
Approximately 1,300 heat-related deaths.
Speaker 2 (46:50):
[foreign language 00:46:50].
US President Donald Trump (46:50):
Pretending to stop the global [inaudible 00:46:54] hoax.
Speaker 2 (46:54):
[foreign language 00:46:56].
US President Donald Trump (46:55):
The end of asking successful, industrialized nations.
Speaker 2 (46:59):
[foreign language 00:47:04].
US President Donald Trump (47:04):
Entire societies must be rejected immediately, and it must be immediate. That's why in America, I withdrew from the fake Paris Climate Accord, where, by the way, America was paying so much more than every country. Others weren't paying. China didn't have to pay until 2030. Russia was given an old standard that was easy to meet, a 1990 standard. But for the United States, we're supposed to pay like a trillion dollars. And I said, "This is another scam." The fact is United States has been taken advantage of by the world for many, many years, but not any longer, as you probably noticed.
(47:46)
I
unleashed massive energy production and signed historic executive
orders to hunt for oil. But we don't have to do much hunting because we
have the most oil of any nation, anywhere, oil and gas in the world. And
if you add coal, we have the most of any nation in the world. Clean. I
call it clean, beautiful coal. You can do things today with coal that
you couldn't have done 10 years ago, 15 years. So I have a little
standing order in the White House. Never use the word coal, only use the
words clean, beautiful coal. Sounds much better, doesn't it? But we
stand ready to provide any country with abundant, affordable energy
supplies if you need them, when most of you do.
(48:29)
We're
proudly exporting energy all over the world. We're now the largest
exporter. In the United States, we want trade and robust commerce with
all nations. Everybody. We want to help nations. We're going to help
nations, but it must also be fair and reciprocal. The challenge with
trade is much the same with climate. The countries that followed the
rules, all their factories have been plundered. It's really sad to
watch. They've been broken. They've been broken by countries that broke
the rules.
(49:05)
That's
why the United States is now applying tariffs to other countries. And
much as these tariffs were, for many years, applied to us,
uncontrollably applied to us, we've used tariffs as a defense mechanism
under the Trump administration, including my first term, where hundreds
of billions of dollars in tariffs were taken in. And by the way, we had
the lowest inflation and now we have very low inflation. The only thing
different is that we have hundreds of billions of dollars flowing into
our country. But this is how we will ensure that the system works for
everyone and is sustainable into the future. We're also using tariffs to
defend our sovereignty and security throughout the world, including
against nations that have taken advantage of former U.S. administrations
for decades, including the most corrupt, incompetent administration in
history. The sleepy Joe Biden administration.
(50:07)
Brazil
now faces major tariffs in response to its unprecedented efforts to
interfere in the rights and freedoms of our American citizens and others
with censorship, repression, weaponization, judicial corruption, and
targeting of political critics in the United States. I have a little
problem saying this because I must tell you, I was walking in and the
leader of Brazil was walking out. We saw him and I saw him, he saw me
and we embraced, and then I'm saying, can you believe I'm going to be
saying this in just two minutes? But we actually agreed that we would
meet next week. We didn't have much time to talk, like about 20 seconds.
They were, in retrospect, I'm glad I waited because this thing didn't
work out too well. But we did talk. We had a good talk and we agreed to
meet next week, if that's of interest. But he seemed like a very nice
man, actually. He liked me, I liked him. And I only do business with
people I like.
(51:13)
I
don't, when I don't like them, I don't like them. But we had, at least
for about 39 seconds, we had excellent chemistry. It's a good sign. But
also in the past, Brazil, can you believe this? Unfairly tariffed our
nation. But now because of our tariffs, we are hitting them back and
we're hitting them back very hard. As President, I will always defend
our national sovereignty and the rights of American citizens. So I'm
very sorry to say this, that Brazil is doing poorly and will continue to
do poorly. They can only do well when they're working with us. Without
us, they will fail just as others have failed. It's true.
(52:01)
Next
year the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our
glorious independence, a testament to enduring power and American
freedom and spirit. We will also be proudly hosting the 2026 FIFA World
Cup, and shortly thereafter, the 2028 Olympics, which is going to be
very exciting. I hope you all come. I hope that countless people from
all over the globe will take part of these great, these will be great
celebrations of liberty and human achievement, and that together, we all
can rejoice in the miracles of history that began in July 4th, 1776
when we founded the Light to All Nations. And it's something really that
an amazing thing came out of that date. It's called the United States
of America. In honor of this momentous anniversary, I hope that all
countries who find inspiration in our example will join us in renewing
our commitment values, and those values, really, that we hold so dear
together.
(53:04)
Let
us defend free speech and free expression. Let us protect religious
liberty, including for the most persecuted religion on the planet today.
It's called Christianity. And let us safeguard our sovereignty and
cherish qualities that have made each of our nations so special,
incredible, and extraordinary.
(53:24)
In
closing, just want to repeat that immigration and the high cost of
so-called green renewable energy is destroying a large part of the free
world and a large part of our planet. Countries that cherish freedom are
fading fast because of their policies on these two subjects. You need
strong borders and traditional energy sources if you are going to be
great again. Whether you have come from north or south, east or west,
near or far, every leader in this beautiful hall today represents a rich
culture, a noble history, and a proud heritage that makes each nation
majestic and unique, unlike anything else in human history or any other
place on the face of the earth.
(54:13)
From
London to Lima, from Rome to Athens, from Paris to Seoul, from Cairo to
Tokyo, and Amsterdam to right here in New York City, we stand on the
shoulders of the leaders and legends, generals and giants, heroes and
titans who won and built our beloved nations, all of our nations, with
their own courage, strength, spirit, and skill. Our ancestors climbed to
mountains, conquered oceans, crossed deserts, and trekked over wide
open plains. They charged into thunderous battles, plunged into grave
dangers, and they were soldiers, and farmers, and workers, and warriors,
and explorers, and patriots. They built towns into cities, tribes into
kingdoms, ideas into industries, and small islands into mighty empires.
You're a part of all of that. They were champions for their people who
never gave up and who never ever gave in. Their values, defined our
national identities. Their visions forged our magnificent destiny.
Everybody in this room is a part of it in your own way.
(55:27)
Each
of us inherits the deeds and the myths, the triumphs, the legacies of
our own heroes and founders who so bravely showed us the way. Our
ancestors gave everything for homelands, that they defended with pride,
with sweat, with blood, with life, and with death. Now, the righteous
task of protecting the nations that they built belongs to each and every
one of us. 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, treasures, and traditions, and fight, fight,
fight for their precious dreams and their cherished freedoms, and in
friendship and really, a beautiful vision.
(56:18)
Let
us all work together to build a bright, beautiful planet, a planet that
we all share, a planet of peace and a world that is richer, better, and
more beautiful than ever before. That can happen. It will happen. It
will happen, and I hope it can happen and start right now, right at this
moment. We'll turn it around. We're going to make our countries better,
safer, more beautiful. We're going to take care of our people. Thank
you very much. It's been an honor. God bless the nations of the world.
Thank you very much. Bye.
(56:56)
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (57:06):
On behalf of the Assembly, I wish to thank the President of the United States.
* * *
United Nations Headquarters
New York, New York
September 24, 2019
10:12 A.M. EDT
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, distinguished delegates, ambassadors, and world leaders:
Seven decades of history have passed through this hall, in all of their richness and drama. Where I stand, the world has heard from presidents and premiers at the height of the Cold War. We have seen the foundation of nations. We have seen the ringleaders of revolution. We have beheld saints who inspired us with hope, rebels who stirred us with passion, and heroes who emboldened us with courage — all here to share plans, proposals, visions, and ideas on the world’s biggest stage.
Like those who met us before, our time is one of great contests, high stakes, and clear choices. The essential divide that runs all around the world and throughout history is once again thrown into stark relief. It is the divide between those whose thirst for control deludes them into thinking they are destined to rule over others and those people and nations who want only to rule themselves.
I have the immense privilege of addressing you today as the elected leader of a nation that prizes liberty, independence, and self-government above all. The United States, after having spent over two and a half trillion dollars since my election to completely rebuild our great military, is also, by far, the world’s most powerful nation. Hopefully, it will never have to use this power.
Americans know that in a world where others seek conquest and domination, our nation must be strong in wealth, in might, and in spirit. That is why the United States vigorously defends the traditions and customs that have made us who we are.
Like my beloved country, each nation represented in this hall has a cherished history, culture, and heritage that is worth defending and celebrating, and which gives us our singular potential and strength.
The free world must embrace its national foundations. It must not attempt to erase them or replace them.
Looking around and all over this large, magnificent planet, the truth is plain to see: If you want freedom, take pride in your country. If you want democracy, hold on to your sovereignty. And if you want peace, love your nation. Wise leaders always put the good of their own people and their own country first.
The future does not belong to globalists. The future belongs to patriots. The future belongs to sovereign and independent nations who protect their citizens, respect their neighbors, and honor the differences that make each country special and unique.
It is why we in the United States have embarked on an exciting program of national renewal. In everything we do, we are focused on empowering the dreams and aspirations of our citizens.
Thanks to our pro-growth economic policies, our domestic unemployment rate reached its lowest level in over half a century. Fueled by massive tax cuts and regulations cuts, jobs are being produced at a historic rate. Six million Americans have been added to the employment rolls in under three years.
Last month, African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American unemployment reached their lowest rates ever recorded. We are marshaling our nation’s vast energy abundance, and the United States is now the number one producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world. Wages are rising, incomes are soaring, and 2.5 million Americans have been lifted out of poverty in less than three years.
As we rebuild the unrivaled might of the American military, we are also revitalizing our alliances by making it very clear that all of our partners are expected to pay their fair share of the tremendous defense burden, which the United States has borne in the past.
At the center of our vision for national renewal is an ambitious campaign to reform international trade. For decades, the international trading system has been easily exploited by nations acting in very bad faith. As jobs were outsourced, a small handful grew wealthy at the expense of the middle class.
In America, the result was 4.2 million lost manufacturing jobs and $15 trillion in trade deficits over the last quarter century. The United States is now taking that decisive action to end this grave economic injustice. Our goal is simple: We want balanced trade that is both fair and reciprocal.
We have worked closely with our partners in Mexico and Canada to replace NAFTA with the brand new and hopefully bipartisan U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Tomorrow, I will join Prime Minister Abe of Japan to continue our progress in finalizing a terrific new trade deal.
As the United Kingdom makes preparations to exit the European Union, I have made clear that we stand ready to complete an exceptional new trade agreement with the UK that will bring tremendous benefits to both of our countries. We are working closely with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on a magnificent new trade deal.
The most important difference in America’s new approach on trade concerns our relationship with China. In 2001, China was admitted to the World Trade Organization. Our leaders then argued that this decision would compel China to liberalize its economy and strengthen protections to provide things that were unacceptable to us, and for private property and for the rule of law. Two decades later, this theory has been tested and proven completely wrong.
Not only has China declined to adopt promised reforms, it has embraced an economic model dependent on massive market barriers, heavy state subsidies, currency manipulation, product dumping, forced technology transfers, and the theft of intellectual property and also trade secrets on a grand scale.
As just one example, I recently met the CEO of a terrific American company, Micron Technology, at the White House. Micron produces memory chips used in countless electronics. To advance the Chinese government’s five-year economic plan, a company owned by the Chinese state allegedly stole Micron’s designs, valued at up to $8.7 billion. Soon, the Chinese company obtains patents for nearly an identical product, and Micron was banned from selling its own goods in China. But we are seeking justice.
The United States lost 60,000 factories after China entered the WTO. This is happening to other countries all over the globe.
The World Trade Organization needs drastic change. The second-largest economy in the world should not be permitted to declare itself a “developing country” in order to game the system at others’ expense.
For years, these abuses were tolerated, ignored, or even encouraged. Globalism exerted a religious pull over past leaders, causing them to ignore their own national interests.
But as far as America is concerned, those days are over. To confront these unfair practices, I placed massive tariffs on more than $500 billion worth of Chinese-made goods. Already, as a result of these tariffs, supply chains are relocating back to America and to other nations, and billions of dollars are being paid to our Treasury.
The American people are absolutely committed to restoring balance to our relationship with China. Hopefully, we can reach an agreement that would be beneficial for both countries. But as I have made very clear, I will not accept a bad deal for the American people.
As we endeavor to stabilize our relationship, we’re also carefully monitoring the situation in Hong Kong. The world fully expects that the Chinese government will honor its binding treaty, made with the British and registered with the United Nations, in which China commits to protect Hong Kong’s freedom, legal system, and democratic ways of life. How China chooses to handle the situation will say a great deal about its role in the world in the future. We are all counting on President Xi as a great leader.
The United States does not seek conflict with any other nation. We desire peace, cooperation, and mutual gain with all. But I will never fail to defend America’s interests.
One of the greatest security threats facing peace-loving nations today is the repressive regime in Iran. The regime’s record of death and destruction is well known to us all. Not only is Iran the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism, but Iran’s leaders are fueling the tragic wars in both Syria and Yemen.
At the same time, the regime is squandering the nation’s wealth and future in a fanatical quest for nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. We must never allow this to happen.
To stop Iran’s path to nuclear weapons and missiles, I withdrew the
United States from the terrible Iran nuclear deal, which has very little
time remaining, did not allow inspection of important sites, and did
not cover ballistic missiles.
Following our withdrawal, we have implemented severe economic sanctions
on the country. Hoping to free itself from sanctions, the regime has
escalated its violent and unprovoked aggression. In response to Iran’s
recent attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities, we just imposed the
highest level of sanctions on Iran’s central bank and sovereign wealth
fund.
All nations have a duty to act. No responsible government should subsidize Iran’s bloodlust. As long as Iran’s menacing behavior continues, sanctions will not be lifted; they will be tightened. Iran’s leaders will have turned a proud nation into just another cautionary tale of what happens when a ruling class abandons its people and embarks on a crusade for personal power and riches.
For 40 years, the world has listened to Iran’s rulers as they lash out at everyone else for the problems they alone have created. They conduct ritual chants of “Death to America” and traffic in monstrous anti-Semitism. Last year the country’s Supreme Leader stated, “Israel is a malignant cancerous tumor…that has to be removed and eradicated: it is possible and it will happen.” America will never tolerate such anti-Semitic hate.
Fanatics have long used hatred of Israel to distract from their own failures. Thankfully, there is a growing recognition in the wider Middle East that the countries of the region share common interests in battling extremism and unleashing economic opportunity. That is why it is so important to have full, normalized relations between Israel and its neighbors. Only a relationship built on common interests, mutual respect, and religious tolerance can forge a better future.
Iran’s citizens deserve a government that cares about reducing poverty, ending corruption, and increasing jobs — not stealing their money to fund a massacre abroad and at home.
After four decades of failure, it is time for Iran’s leaders to step forward and to stop threatening other countries, and focus on building up their own country. It is time for Iran’s leaders to finally put the Iranian people first.
America is ready to embrace friendship with all who genuinely seek peace and respect.
Many of America’s closest friends today were once our gravest foes. The United States has never believed in permanent enemies. We want partners, not adversaries. America knows that while anyone can make war, only the most courageous can choose peace.
For this same reason, we have pursued bold diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula. I have told Kim Jong Un what I truly believe: that, like Iran, his country is full of tremendous untapped potential, but that to realize that promise, North Korea must denuclearize.
Around the world, our message is clear: America’s goal is lasting, America’s goal is harmony, and America’s goal is not to go with these endless wars — wars that never end.
With that goal in mind, my administration is also pursuing the hope of a brighter future in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the Taliban has chosen to continue their savage attacks. And we will continue to work with our coalition of Afghan partners to stamp out terrorism, and we will never stop working to make peace a reality.
Here in the Western Hemisphere, we are joining with our partners to ensure stability and opportunity all across the region. In that mission, one of our most critical challenges is illegal immigration, which undermines prosperity, rips apart societies, and empowers ruthless criminal cartels.
Mass illegal migration is unfair, unsafe, and unsustainable for everyone involved: the sending countries and the depleted countries. And they become depleted very fast, but their youth is not taken care of and human capital goes to waste.
The receiving countries are overburdened with more migrants than they can responsibly accept. And the migrants themselves are exploited, assaulted, and abused by vicious coyotes. Nearly one third of women who make the journey north to our border are sexually assaulted along the way. Yet, here in the United States and around the world, there is a growing cottage industry of radical activists and non-governmental organizations that promote human smuggling. These groups encourage illegal migration and demand erasure of national borders.
Today, I have a message for those open border activists who cloak themselves in the rhetoric of social justice: Your policies are not just. Your policies are cruel and evil. You are empowering criminal organizations that prey on innocent men, women, and children. You put your own false sense of virtue before the lives, wellbeing, and [of] countless innocent people. When you undermine border security, you are undermining human rights and human dignity.
Many of the countries here today are coping with the challenges of uncontrolled migration. Each of you has the absolute right to protect your borders, and so, of course, does our country. Today, we must resolve to work together to end human smuggling, end human trafficking, and put these criminal networks out of business for good.
To our country, I can tell you sincerely: We are working closely with our friends in the region — including Mexico, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Panama — to uphold the integrity of borders and ensure safety and prosperity for our people. I would like to thank President López Obrador of Mexico for the great cooperation we are receiving and for right now putting 27,000 troops on our southern border. Mexico is showing us great respect, and I respect them in return.
The U.S., we have taken very unprecedented action to stop the flow of illegal immigration. To anyone considering crossings of our border illegally, please hear these words: Do not pay the smugglers. Do not pay the coyotes. Do not put yourself in danger. Do not put your children in danger. Because if you make it here, you will not be allowed in; you will be promptly returned home. You will not be released into our country. As long as I am President of the United States, we will enforce our laws and protect our borders.
For all of the countries of the Western Hemisphere, our goal is to help people invest in the bright futures of their own nation. Our region is full of such incredible promise: dreams waiting to be built and national destinies for all. And they are waiting also to be pursued.
Throughout the hemisphere, there are millions of hardworking, patriotic young people eager to build, innovate, and achieve. But these nations cannot reach their potential if a generation of youth abandon their homes in search of a life elsewhere. We want every nation in our region to flourish and its people to thrive in freedom and peace.
In that mission, we are also committed to supporting those people in the Western Hemisphere who live under brutal oppression, such as those in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
According to a recent report from the U.N. Human Rights Council, women in Venezuela stand in line for 10 hours a day waiting for food. Over 15,000 people have been detained as political prisoners. Modern-day death squads are carrying out thousands of extrajudicial killings.
The dictator Maduro is a Cuban puppet, protected by Cuban bodyguards, hiding from his own people while Cuba plunders Venezuela’s oil wealth to sustain its own corrupt communist rule.
Since I last spoke in this hall, the United States and our partners have built a historic coalition of 55 countries that recognize the legitimate government of Venezuela.
To the Venezuelans trapped in this nightmare: Please know that all of America is united behind you. The United States has vast quantities of humanitarian aid ready and waiting to be delivered. We are watching the Venezuela situation very closely. We await the day when democracy will be restored, when Venezuela will be free, and when liberty will prevail throughout this hemisphere.
One of the most serious challenges our countries face is the specter of socialism. It’s the wrecker of nations and destroyer of societies.
Events in Venezuela remind us all that socialism and communism are not about justice, they are not about equality, they are not about lifting up the poor, and they are certainly not about the good of the nation. Socialism and communism are about one thing only: power for the ruling class.
Today, I repeat a message for the world that I have delivered at home: America will never be a socialist country.
In the last century, socialism and communism killed 100 million people. Sadly, as we see in Venezuela, the death toll continues in this country. These totalitarian ideologies, combined with modern technology, have the power to excise [exercise] new and disturbing forms of suppression and domination.
For this reason, the United States is taking steps to better screen foreign technology and investments and to protect our data and our security. We urge every nation present to do the same.
Freedom and democracy must be constantly guarded and protected, both abroad and from within. We must always be skeptical of those who want conformity and control. Even in free nations, we see alarming signs and new challenges to liberty.
A small number of social media platforms are acquiring immense power over what we can see and over what we are allowed to say. A permanent political class is openly disdainful, dismissive, and defiant of the will of the people. A faceless bureaucracy operates in secret and weakens democratic rule. Media and academic institutions push flat-out assaults on our histories, traditions, and values.
In the United States, my administration has made clear to social media companies that we will uphold the right of free speech. A free society cannot allow social media giants to silence the voices of the people, and a free people must never, ever be enlisted in the cause of silencing, coercing, canceling, or blacklisting their own neighbors.
As we defend American values, we affirm the right of all people to live in dignity. For this reason, my administration is working with other nations to stop criminalizing of homosexuality, and we stand in solidarity with LGBTQ people who live in countries that punish, jail, or execute individuals based upon sexual orientation.
We are also championing the role of women in our societies. Nations that empower women are much wealthier, safer, and much more politically stable. It is therefore vital not only to a nation’s prosperity, but also is vital to its national security, to pursue women’s economic development.
Guided by these principles, my administration launched the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiatives. The W-GDP is first-ever government-wide approach to women’s economic empowerment, working to ensure that women all over the planet have the legal right to own and inherit property, work in the same industries as men, travel freely, and access credit and institutions.
Yesterday, I was also pleased to host leaders for a discussion about an ironclad American commitment: protecting religious leaders and also protecting religious freedom. This fundamental right is under growing threat around the world. Hard to believe, but 80 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where religious liberty is in significant danger or even completely outlawed. Americans will never fire or tire in our effort to defend and promote freedom of worship and religion. We want and support religious liberty for all.
Americans will also never tire of defending innocent life. We are aware that many United Nations projects have attempted to assert a global right to taxpayer-funded abortion on demand, right up until the moment of delivery. Global bureaucrats have absolutely no business attacking the sovereignty of nations that wish to protect innocent life. Like many nations here today, we in America believe that every child — born and unborn — is a sacred gift from God.
There is no circumstance under which the United States will allow international entries [entities] to trample on the rights of our citizens, including the right to self-defense. That is why, this year, I announced that we will never ratify the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, which would threaten the liberties of law-abiding American citizens. The United States will always uphold our constitutional right to keep and bear arms. We will always uphold our Second Amendment.
The core rights and values America defends today were inscribed in America’s founding documents. Our nation’s Founders understood that there will always be those who believe they are entitled to wield power and control over others. Tyranny advances under many names and many theories, but it always comes down to the desire for domination. It protects not the interests of many, but the privilege of few.
Our Founders gave us a system designed to restrain this dangerous impulse. They chose to entrust American power to those most invested in the fate of our nation: a proud and fiercely independent people.
The true good of a nation can only be pursued by those who love it: by citizens who are rooted in its history, who are nourished by its culture, committed to its values, attached to its people, and who know that its future is theirs to build or theirs to lose. Patriots see a nation and its destiny in ways no one else can.
Liberty is only preserved, sovereignty is only secured, democracy is only sustained, greatness is only realized, by the will and devotion of patriots. In their spirit is found the strength to resist oppression, the inspiration to forge legacy, the goodwill to seek friendship, and the bravery to reach for peace. Love of our nations makes the world better for all nations.
So to all the leaders here today, join us in the most fulfilling mission a person could have, the most profound contribution anyone can make: Lift up your nations. Cherish your culture. Honor your histories. Treasure your citizens. Make your countries strong, and prosperous, and righteous. Honor the dignity of your people, and nothing will be outside of your reach.
When our nations are greater, the future will be brighter, our people will be happier, and our partnerships will be stronger.
With God’s help, together we will cast off the enemies of liberty and overcome the oppressors of dignity. We will set new standards of living and reach new heights of human achievement. We will rediscover old truths, unravel old mysteries, and make thrilling new breakthroughs. And we will find more beautiful friendship and more harmony among nations than ever before.
My fellow leaders, the path to peace and progress, and freedom and justice, and a better world for all humanity, begins at home.
Thank you. God bless you. God bless the nations of the world. And God bless America. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END
10:49 A.M. EDT
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Today, in remarks to the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Donald J. Trump delivered a powerful rebuke to the destructive globalism that has fueled endless conflict and chaos around the world. During the address, President Trump was unapologetic in proclaiming American strength as he unveiled a bold vision for sovereign nations to unite against the true threats of terrorism, unchecked migration, biological warfare, and loss of cultural identity.
Here are highlights from President Trump’s speech:
- “America is blessed with the strongest economy, the strongest borders, the strongest military, the strongest friendships, and the strongest spirit of any nation on the face of the earth. This is indeed the Golden Age of America.” (Watch)
- “Four months in a row, the number of illegal aliens admitted and entering our country has been zero… Our message is very simple: If you come illegally into the United States, you’re going to jail or you’re going back to where you came from.” (Watch)
- “In a period of just seven months, I have ended seven ‘un-endable’ wars… No President or Prime Minister — and for that matter, no other country — has ever done anything close to that… It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them — and sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help.” (Watch)
- “What is the purpose of the United Nations? The UN has such tremendous potential… All they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter, and then never follow that letter up. It’s empty words — and empty words don’t solve war.” (Watch)
- “Everyone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize… but for me, the real prize will be the sons and daughters who live to grow up with their mothers and fathers because millions of people are no longer being killed in endless and un-glorious wars. What I care about is not winning prizes, it’s saving lives.” (Watch)
- “A dramatically better future is within our reach — but to get there, we must reject the failed approaches of the past and work together to confront some of the greatest threats in history.” (Watch)
- “My position is very simple: the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never be allowed to possess the most dangerous weapon.” (Watch)
- “Now, as if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body is seeking to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state… Instead of giving in to Hamas’s ransom demands, those who want peace should be united with one message: release the hostages now!” (Watch)
- “China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil — but inexcusably, even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy.” (Watch)
- “Today, I’m also calling on every nation to join us in ending the development of biological weapons once and for all.” (Watch)
- “Not only is the UN not solving the problems it should, too often, it is actually creating new problems for us to solve… The United Nations is funding an assault on Western countries and their borders… The UN is supposed to stop invasions, not create them and not finance them.” (Watch)
- “What makes the world so beautiful is that each country is unique — but to stay this way, every sovereign nation must have the right to control their own borders.” (Watch)
- “When your prisons are filled with so-called ‘asylum seekers’ who repaid kindness with crime, it’s time to end the failed experiment of open borders.” (Watch)
- “Any system that results in the mass trafficking of children is inherently evil — yet that is exactly what the globalist migration agenda has done.” (Watch)
- “To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned — we will blow you out of existence.” (Watch)
- “I’m telling you that if you don’t get away from the ‘green energy’ scam, your country is going to fail. If you don’t stop people that you’ve never seen before that you have nothing in common with, your country is going to fail.” (Watch)
- “The entire globalist concept of asking successful, industrialized nations to inflict pain on themselves and radically disrupt their entire societies must be rejected completely and totally — and it must be immediate.” (Watch)
- “The challenge with trade is much the same as with climate: the countries that followed the rules, all their factories have been plundered… by countries that broke the rules. That’s why the United States is now applying tariffs to other countries.” (Watch)
- “Together, let us defend free speech and free expression. Let us protect religious liberty, including for the most persecuted religion on the planet today — it’s called Christianity.” (Watch)
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