A Broadside on Migration

Trump dedicated much of his time to lambasting international migration policies, accusing the United Nations of bankrolling what he called “an assault on Western countries.” He warned that without stricter border controls, nations risked losing their heritage and identity.
“Once we started detaining and deporting everyone who crossed the border — they simply stopped coming,” he declared, urging European leaders to replicate his hardline approach.

Climate Change Under Fire

The former president dismissed decades of scientific consensus, calling climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.” He mocked global efforts to cut emissions, claiming they cripple Western industries while rewarding polluters abroad. His message was blunt: green energy is a scam, and America shouldn’t play along.

Wars Addressed Only in Passing

On Ukraine and Gaza, Trump offered little beyond familiar talking points. He lamented Europe’s continued reliance on Russian energy, criticized the push for a two-state solution, and admitted that his once-confident claims about resolving conflicts quickly had proven unrealistic. Only after the speech did he sharpen his position, suggesting NATO nations should shoot down Russian aircraft violating their airspace and posting on Truth Social that Ukraine could reclaim all its lost territory.

A Broken Escalator, A Broken Institution

Trump’s complaints weren’t limited to policy. He mocked the UN itself, pointing to both a malfunctioning escalator and his faulty teleprompter as symbols of a larger dysfunction. “What is the purpose of the United Nations?” he asked. To him, the body was more interested in drafting “strongly worded letters” than in preventing wars.

Off-Script and Unapologetic

As the address dragged on far beyond its time slot, Trump wandered into tangents—criticizing wind energy, revisiting old grudges, and joking about backstage conversations with other leaders. Delegates listened in silence, a sharp contrast to the laughter that greeted his speeches during his first term.

For Trump, the speech was less about policy detail and more about asserting that his worldview—nationalist, skeptical of global institutions, and openly confrontational—remains unchanged. Whether the UN, or America’s allies, are willing to follow that lead is another matter entirely.