At U.N., Trump scorns foes, commends Kim’s ‘courage’
UNITED NATIONS — President Donald Trump on Tuesday defiantly reaffirmed his commitment to an “America First” foreign policy, lashing out at foes like Iran and failing states like Venezuela. But he singled out an enemy-turned-partner, Kim Jong Un of North Korea, expressing optimism for a diplomatic opening that would have seemed far-fetched even a year ago.
Speaking for a second time to the U.N. General Assembly, Trump said, “We will never surrender America’s sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable global bureaucracy. We reject the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism.”
Trump lavished praise on his own efforts to shake up the global order in his first 20 months in office, pointing to his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, trade agreements and numerous international organizations, as well as his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
He also celebrated his record as a statesman, asserting that his summit last June in Singapore with Kim, whom he accused of mass murder last year, had reduced the nuclear threat from the North.
“The missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction, nuclear testing has stopped, some military facilities are already being dismantled,” Trump said. “I would like to thank Chairman Kim for his courage and for the steps he has taken, though much work needs to be done.”
Trump saved his most excoriating words for what he called the “corrupt dictatorship” in Iran. He accused the Iranian government of looting its own people and using the financial windfall from the nuclear deal to finance what he described as a terrorism campaign that is destabilizing the entire Middle East.
“Iran’s leaders sow chaos, death and destruction,” Trump declared. “They do not respect their neighbor or borders, or the sovereign rights of nations.”
Trump’s 34-minute address drew a mostly stonefaced response from the audience in the General Assembly chamber, which included emissaries from several of the countries he targeted.
The United States’ other great strategic rival, Russia, went unmentioned in Trump’s speech, except for a fleeting reference to what he described as Germany’s dependence on Russian natural gas.