He doesn’t like them, they think he’s funny

Donald Trump campaigned for the presidency claiming ‘‘the world is laughing at us’’. Now it really is laughing – at him.

Apparently mistaking the United Nations General Assembly for a campaign stop, Trump opened his annual address – usually a sombre occasion for a president to assess the state of the world – by boasting that his administration ‘‘has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country’’.

That’s when the other world leaders started chuckling. ‘‘Didn’t expect that reaction,’’ Trump said, like a comic in a roomful of hecklers, ‘‘but that’s OK.’’ Actually, it’s not OK. America’s president is now openly derided in the most important international forum. Trump went on to say the United Nations had some potential for good, but he was quite explicit in his view of foreign assistance as a reward for good behaviour and for personal loyalty. ‘‘Moving forward,’’ he said, ‘‘we are only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us and, frankly, are our friends.’’

There was no acknowledgment that foreign aid has been used as a strategic tool to protect American security interests by fighting terrorism, advancing democracy, eradicating disease, promoting trade and cultivating allies.

For Trump, it’s all about the quid pro quo and the political message to his domestic audience.