Key moments from Trump’s United Nations appearance

President Donald Trump delivered a nearly hour-long address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York Sept. 23, praising his administration’s record, criticizing globalism, and discussing the ongoing violence in both Gaza and Ukraine. 

Violence in Gaza and Palestinian recognition

During his remarks, Trump urged an immediate halt to the war in Gaza, declaring, “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.” 

He rejected international efforts to recognize a Palestinian state and called it “a reward for Hamas terrorists for their atrocities.”

On Sept. 21, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia recognized Palestine as a state, a move their leaders said is aimed at reviving a two-state solution and bringing peace, CatholicVote reported. 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the nations joined over 150 others in recognizing Palestinian statehood. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded, “A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River.”

Ukraine and Russia

Turning to Ukraine, Trump said he has “been working relentlessly” to end the violence and accused countries that continue to buy Russian oil of “funding the war against themselves.” 

The President added that the U.S. is “fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs, which would stop the bloodshed” but insisted European nations join “in adopting the exact same measures.” 

America First agenda and mass migration

Trump opened his speech by boasting of U.S. economic strength and national security under his leadership: “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.”

He credited his administration with “reversing the economic calamity we inherited from the previous administration” and highlighted a sharp decline in illegal immigration. 

Trump thanked El Salvador for jailing migrants who entered the U.S. and warned that “Europe is in serious trouble” because of illegal immigration.

“They've been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody has ever seen before,” he said.

Trump said the European countries are “doing just absolutely nothing about” illegal immigration because “they chose to be politically correct.” He specifically pointed to London, which he said has been “so changed.” 

Biological weapons 

Trump announced a new initiative to crack down on biological weapons, claiming that “many countries are continuing extremely risky research into bio weapons and man-made pathogens.” 

“I'm announcing today that my administration will lead an international effort to enforce Biological Weapons Convention,” he said, “which is going to be meeting with the top leaders of the world by pioneering an AI verification system that everyone can trust.” 

Globalism

The President denounced globalist policies that he said harm industrialized nations: "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!"

Religious liberty 

Nearing his conclusion, Trump pledged to defend religious freedom, saying, "Let us protect religious liberty, including for the most persecuted religion on the planet today: it's called Christianity.”