Trump attacks globalism and urges action on Iran

UN I T ED N AT I ONS» President Donald Trump stood before world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday and rejected “globalism” and liberal immigration policies while exhorting the world to act against Iran’s “bloodlust.” His speech and subsequent meetings had to compete with news from Washington that the House is moving forward with an impeachment inquiry.

In his address, Trump took aim at China, Venezuela and what he called a “growing cottage industry” of radical activists intent on pushing for open borders that harm national security and sovereignty.

Trump lambasted the World Trade Organization for giving China preferential treatment that he said was undeserved. He slammed socialism for bringing ruin to Venezuela. But he reserved much of his ire for Iran, which he called “one of the greatest threats” to the planet.

“Not only is Iran the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, but Iran’s leaders are fueling the tragic wars in both Syria and Yemen,” Trump told world leaders. “All nations have a duty to act. No responsible government should subsidize Iran’s bloodlust.”

The Trump administration’s hard-line Iran policy got a boost on Monday from Britain, France and Germany, which blamed Iran for an attack on Saudi oil facilities earlier this month and said the time had come to negotiate a new deal with Tehran to replace the landmark 2015 nuclear accord from which Trump withdrew last year.

U.S. officials said they hope the new European stance would galvanize opposition to Iran and boost the “maximum pressure” campaign that the administration has pursued by increasing sanctions on the Islamic republic. There had been speculation, fueled by Trump himself, that he might meet in New York with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, but officials said that prospect was increasingly unlikely, particularly after the joint statement from Britain, France and Germany.

The president met separately with France’s Emmauel Macron and Germany’s Angela Merkel, both of whom have been urging Trump to meet with Rouhani while the two are in the same city.

“If he (Rouhani) leaves the country without meeting with President Trump, this is a lost opportunity,” Macron told reporters as he and Rouhani met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Rouhani, for his part, said he’d consider meeting “at any level” to explore what the Trump administration seeks in a nuclear deal — but not until sanctions against his country are lifted. He downplayed any imminent diplomatic breakthrough but added: “No one knows what America will do tomorrow.”

Trump, however, did raise the possibility of a breakthrough, in comments while meeting with Iraq’s prime minister.

“They would like to negotiate,” he said. “We haven’t really worked that out. They’re here. We’re here, but we have not agreed to that yet.”

In his speech, the president implored the world’s leaders to prioritize their own nations, with strong borders and one-on-one trade deals, rejecting sweeping transnational organizations and alliances.

“The future does not belong to globalists. The future belongs to patriots. The future belongs to strong, independent nations,” Trump told a murmuring crowd at the General Assembly. “Globalism exerted a religious pull over past leaders, causing them to ignore their own national interests. Those days are over.”