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Trump addresses UN general assembly and thanks Kim Jong-un – live updates Trump to UN: 'We reject globalism and we embrace patriotism' – live updates
(35 minutes later)
Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is on stage.
Trump might be gone, but Erdoğan quickly makes a veiled comment directed at the US president, criticizing governments that ignore the suffering of Palestinians and have withdrawn aid to help them. The US said it would end funding to the UN’s program for Palestinian refugees earlier this month.
These countries, he says, “are only increasing the courage of the oppressors.”
Given Trump’s attack on global governance and cooperation, and the US withdrawal from key United Nations programs, his speech takes an unexpected turn as he praises the diversity at the United Nations.
He calls the UN a “beautiful constellation of nations.”
Trump says: “There is the heart of a patriot that feels the same powerful love for your nation. The same intense loyalty to your homeland. The passion that burns in the hearts of patriots and the souls of nations has inspired reform and revolution.”
He continues: “To unleash this incredible potential in our people, we must defend the foundations that make it possible.”
“We must protect our soveirngty and our cherished independence above all. When we do, we will find new avenues for cooperation unfolding before us. We will find new passion for peacemaking rising within us. We will find new purpose, new resolve.”
“Let us come here to this place, to stand for our people and their nations. Forever strong, forever sovereign, forever just and forever grateful for the grace and goodness of God.”
He ends: “God bless the nations of the world.”
Trump says the US is the bigger provider of foreign aid, but its not fair because the US doesn’t get money back.
He announces that US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, will be reviewing its foreign aid contributions.
“We are only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us, who frankly are our friends,” Trump says.
Trump now using #UNGA speech to say that U.S. will only give foreign aid to "our friends" who "respect us." Pompeo to lead. Luckily, Congress will have a big say in this process. Both Republicans and Democrats have previously said that this sort of thing is a non-starter.
Trump is back to migration.
He says the US respects other country’s migration policies and expects them to do the same.
He reaffirms that the US will no longer participate in the United Nations migration pact.
“Currently we are witnessing a human tragedy, as an example, in Venezuela,” says Trump.
Trump attacks Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro by calling for an end to socialism.
Trump’s tone is measured, but his comments still mark a dramatic departure from the US’s traditional role at the United Nations.
Trump at #UNGA "America is governed by Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism."
In what may have been the entire portion of Trump's #unga speech detailing the strategy underlying current U.S. foreign policy, Trump labeled it "principled realism." He didn't really define the term, other than saying that it's the opposite of "experts," who get things wrong.
That sucking sound you hear is the last bits of US soft power evaporating through the ceilings of the UN General Assembly.
Now Trump is condemning the UN human rights council for “shielding human rights abusers” while criticizing the US.
The US quit the human rights council in June.
“America is governed by Americans,” Trump says.
He attacked the International Criminal Court (ICC) and now the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
He gets another laugh, for saying OPEC is taking advantage of the US “and I don’t like it.”
“The US will not be taken advantage of any longer,” Trump says, taking aim at China.
Trump’s tone is unusually measured but another bump comes as he talks about foreign products sold in the US, before going back down to talk about trade deficits.
“We will not allow our workers to be victimized,” Trump says.
For those who missed the general assembly laughing after Trump touted his administration’s successes in his opening remarks, here’s the video:
WATCH: Laughter in UN General Assembly as President Trump touts his administration's progress in past 2 years: "Didn't expect that reaction, but that's OK." pic.twitter.com/V7GViB5g4B
Trump’s tone is picking up slightly as he speaks about Iran, which he says has a “bloody agenda.”Trump’s tone is picking up slightly as he speaks about Iran, which he says has a “bloody agenda.”
Trump says Iran’s leaders “do not respect their neighbors or borders or the sovereign rights of nations.”Trump says Iran’s leaders “do not respect their neighbors or borders or the sovereign rights of nations.”
And he accuses Iran’s leaders of plundering resources for their own gain.And he accuses Iran’s leaders of plundering resources for their own gain.
He condemns “the horrible 2015 nuclear deal” and calls on other countries to completely isolate Iran.He condemns “the horrible 2015 nuclear deal” and calls on other countries to completely isolate Iran.
Now on to the Middle East.Now on to the Middle East.
Trump touts successes in stopping the “bloodthirsty killers of Isis.”Trump touts successes in stopping the “bloodthirsty killers of Isis.”
He says the US will respond if Syria uses chemical weapons.He says the US will respond if Syria uses chemical weapons.
He then thanks Jordan and other neighboring countries for housing refugees, a point to back his interest in keeping refugees out of the US.He then thanks Jordan and other neighboring countries for housing refugees, a point to back his interest in keeping refugees out of the US.
Trump touts US engagement with North Korea, a country which he threatened to “totally destroy” in this forum last year.
He says nuclear testing has stopped, hostages have been released, and missiles are no longer flying across North Korea’s border with South Korea.
He then thanks North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, “for his courage and the steps he has taken.”
He then offers gratitude to the presidents of South Korea, Japan and China.
US president Donald Trump has arrived.
“Today I stand before the United Nations general assembly to share the extraordinary progress we made,” he says.
He says his administration has accomplished in less than two years more than any other administration.
There’s a slight rumbling in the hall, then he pauses to say “it’s true,” resulting in the first big laugh of the day from the foreign dignitaries.
Trump is measured, and says the US will always choose independence over global governance.
“The United States will not tell you how to live, work and worship,” Trump says. “We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.”
Donald Trump has been busy at the UN general assembly ahead of his remarks today.
Yesterday, the US president announced he would hold a second summit with the “very open and terrific” North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un.
Those compliments are a remarkable turnaround from Trump’s first appearance at the UN general assembly last year, when he hurled insults at Kim and threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea.
Here’s a look at what led to the change of course and the reaction to the planned second summit:
Back to Ecuador’s Lenin Moreno Garcés, who has called on the US to end its blockade on Cuba.
He is also speaking extensively about migration, saying that people flee because they have no choice.
His country has seen more than 547,000 Venezuelans enter since January to escape rampant crime and political violence, a collapsing economy and severe shortages of food and medicines.
“We know that world peace is a duty that remains pending,” Moreno Garcés said.
“There won’t be any peace unless we preserve our planet,” he says.
“There won’t be peace unless we celebrate inclusion.”
Donald Trump is in the building. Senior White House advisor, Stephen Miller, is by his side.
Trump says “Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani,” at #unga. “Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man!” Maybe we’ll have a chance to ask @realDonaldTrump today whether he was joking about the last bit.
"Iran has to change its tune before I meet with them," President Trump said upon entering the United Nations ahead of UNGA speech
Moreno Garcés explains his countries operating plan called “whole life.”
This starts by taking care of mothers and children, improving education and job prospects and supporting adults, he says.
He speaks about his childhood in the Amazon and how he and his peers would envision ways they could climb out of poverty.
And then about being shot twenty years ago, and how even that painful incident was not entirely good and not entirely bad.
“From this wheelchair, I see through the eyes of the heart,” he says.
Moreno Garcés says seeing “horizontally” gives him a closer eye to people who are discriminated against.
He calls for improved accessibility for people with disabilities, one of the seven priorities for this general assembly and improving treatment of other groups that are discriminated against.
Ecuador’s president, Lenin Moreno Garcés, is at the podium.
This slot was meant for Donald Trump, but he appears to be running late. So, Garcés has been bumped up in the schedule.
Fun fact:
Trump not the first president to miss his speaking slot at the UN. Obama was late during his last speech in 2016 so they moved on to the president of Chad
Temer warns about issues with human trafficking, drug trafficking and other forms of transnational crime.
“That can only be effectively tackled through concerted policies and actions,” Temer says.
Temer acknowledges this is the last time he will be speaking in the general assembly because the country’s presidential election is in two weeks.
“An alternation in power is the very essence of democracy,” Temer says.
“I will hand over the presidency to my successor with the peace of mind of having fulfilled my duty,” he says.
He says Brazil is a “much better” country than it was before he took office.
And ends by saying Brazil will always be a country that supports more dialogue, more international solidarity and multilateralism.
Temer is speaking about the global migration crisis.
“It is our duty to protect them and this is the purpose of the global compact on migration,” he says.
He highlights mass migration in South America, where people are fleeing Venezuela at such a high rate the UN has warned it could be comparable to the Mediterranean refugee crisis.
The Guardian’s world affairs editor, Julian Borger, writes from the United Nations on Donald Trump’s latest tweet.
In the early morning message, Trump made a personal rapprochement to Hassan Rouhani, saying he was sure that the Iranian president was an “absolutely lovely man”.
A few minutes before 7am on the first day of a UN general assembly summit, Trump claimed to have been asked to meet Rouhani, but politely declined.
“Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man!” Trump wrote, in stark contrast to unceasingly hostile rhetoric directed towards the Iranian leadership up to now by the president and his administration.
The Iranian mission to the UN quickly issued a statement insisting “Iran has not requested a meeting”.