Trump launches attack on UN at UNGA speech, criticises allies

United Nations, Sep 24 (IANS) US President Donald Trump launched an attack on the UN and policies it promotes, like fighting climate change, adding some harsh words for Washington’s ally on Tuesday.

His criticism received pushback from speakers before and after him on the podium at the General Assembly.

“What is the purpose of the UN?” he asked. “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,” he said.

“It’s not even coming close to living up to that potential,” he said.

As if to buttress the claim about the inefficiency of the UN, the escalator jerked to a halt when he was on it, and the teleprompter failed.

He said that it allows one to speak directly and went on to deliver a rambling speech, a lot of it like an election stump speech directed at a domestic population.

It lasted for 57 minutes while his allotted time was 15 minutes.

He spoke of the stock market record, the stopping of illegal immigration, the tariffs, and to regain during his second term, the “greatest economy in the history of the world” that he asserted was in his first term.

Former President Joe Biden came in for severe criticism.

One important positive element in his speech was a plan to ban biological weapons.

“To prevent potential disasters, I'm announcing today that my administration will lead an international effort to enforce the Biological Weapons Convention,” he said.

Trump said that he will convene a meeting of world leaders to combat the development of bioweapons using artificial intelligence.

If bioweapons were used, “there would be no United Nations to be talking about, there would be nothing,” he said.

Without naming China, he said the COVID pandemic was caused by “reckless experiments overseas” with biotech.

Speakers before him, speaking in anticipation of criticism, defended the UN.

General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said that without the safety provided by the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organisation, leaders wouldn’t have been able to come here.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the UN was created for cooperation over chaos, law over lawlessness, peace over conflict.

But he warned that the choice was now between “a world of raw power or a world of laws, a world that is a scramble for self-interest or a world where nations come together”.

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto stated that his country achieved independence due to the UN, which also contributed to its development and poverty eradication.

Trump took aim at illegal immigration that affected not only the US, but also swept across the US.

He criticised the European allies for not acting adequately against Russia.

In a warning directed against European countries, he said that some countries are “going to hell” because of illegal immigration disrupting their societies.

London was coming under Sharia law, he warned.

He said that Christianity was facing persecution.

The President said Christianity was persecuted while talking about free speech.

He said, "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”.

In his criticism of the UN’s inefficiency, Trump said that he had offered to renovate the building for $500 million, but it chose other contractors who went over budget and provided inferior work for several billion dollars.

He denied that there was a global climate crisis and called for the use of carbon fuels, rather than windmills.

Trump imposed punitive tariffs on Brazil for prosecuting his ally, its former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted of trying to start a coup.

But in his speech, the US President said that he embraced Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who spoke before him, and offered to meet him next week.

--IANS

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