Trump touts his economy and U.S. actions in Iran in UNGA address

President Trump gave a relatively brief address to the United Nations General Assembly, pointing to U.S. military actions in Venezuela and Iran as evidence of American strength. He mused aloud about whether to annihilate Iran while Iranian leaders sat in the audience, and he credited a military intervention that led to the capture of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro with giving the United States access to that country's oil, saying "to the victor belong the spoils." NPR noted that framing breaks with the usual American practice of not tying military action directly to resource gains. Trump also accused the United Nations of imposing what he called the agenda of "globalist bureaucrats who nobody ever elected" and criticized the International Criminal Court.

Trump held a series of meetings with world leaders, including from Britain, Japan, Venezuela and Gulf nations. He signed an agreement with Greenland and Denmark expanding U.S. military bases on the island, though it grants no American ownership. He also met Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy on ending the war with Russia, and disclosed that a U.S. delegation had spent three hours talking with Iranian officials, a notable return to diplomacy after negotiations collapsed over the summer amid disputes over the Strait of Hormuz.

Domestically, Trump faces headwinds: a Reuters/Ipsos poll put his approval rating at 32%, he barred three news outlets from the White House this week, and a judge is expected to rule on a related lawsuit. Chinese leader Xi Jinping was due in Washington for a summit.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NPR’s reporting. Read the full story at NPR →