NEW YORK – US President Donald Trump delivered a blistering attack on the United Nations and European allies Tuesday, warning that migration is sending Western nations “to hell” and dismissing climate change as a “con job” during his first UN General Assembly appearance since returning to the White House.
In a nearly hour-long speech that was received in near total silence, the 79-year-old president accused the world body of failing to help broker peace deals in Gaza and Ukraine while funding what he called an “invasion” of Western nations through migration policies.
“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump asked the assembled world leaders. “It has such tremendous potential, but it’s not even coming close to living up to that.”
Migration warning to Europe
Trump’s harshest criticism targeted European leaders over immigration policies, delivering a stark warning about their future.
“Your countries are going to hell,” he told European leaders, advising them to follow his lead on migration controls—a core political message that drove his two US election victories.
He lambasted the UN for “funding an assault” on Western nations, describing current migration patterns as an “invasion.”
Climate change dismissed
Taking his typically strident stance on environmental issues, Trump pushed back against climate policies while promoting oil drilling and rolling back green initiatives.
“Climate change—it’s the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” said the billionaire property tycoon, claiming he was “right about everything” on the issue.
Ukraine policy shift
After the speech, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and surprised observers by announcing he now believes Kyiv could regain all territory invaded by Russia – a complete reversal from his previous statements.
“Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump posted on Truth Social following the meeting.
The president also dramatically escalated his rhetoric, suggesting NATO nations should shoot down Russian planes violating their territory.
Gaza and peace efforts
On the Gaza conflict that has dominated the UN summit, Trump criticized US allies including France and Britain for recognizing a Palestinian state, calling it a “reward” to Hamas for “horrible atrocities” in the armed group’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.
French President Emmanuel Macron responded Tuesday that Trump could only achieve his long-held goal of a Nobel Peace Prize if he stopped the Gaza war.
Trump also criticized the UN for its response to what he claims are seven wars he has ended, saying, “All they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter. It’s empty words, and empty words don’t solve war.”
The president appeared to call for UN leadership changes after meeting with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, telling reporters: “The UN could be unbelievable with certain people running it.”
Guterres had earlier warned that aid cuts led by the United States were “wreaking havoc” worldwide.
Policy backdrop
Trump’s speech comes as his second term has opened with nationalist policies curbing international cooperation. He has moved to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization and UN climate agreements, severely curtailed development assistance, and imposed sanctions on foreign judges over rulings he sees as violating US sovereignty.
The president’s other meetings included Argentine counterpart Javier Milei, with Trump saying he didn’t believe the struggling South American country needed a bailout.
Security was heightened for the summit, with the US Secret Service reporting they had disrupted a plot involving “nation-state threat actors” that could have potentially disrupted telecommunications around the UN.
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