Live coverage: Trump gives first speech to UN General Assembly

by The Hill Staff - 09/19/17 10:00 AM ET

The Hill provided live updates as President Trump delivered his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.

Trump leaves general assembly

10:53 a.m.

Leaving the General Assembly, Trump says he thinks the U.N. has “great potential.”

“I think the United Nations has great, great potential,” President Trump says following his first address before the UN General Assembly pic.twitter.com/k259y3wIk6

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) September 19, 2017

Trump ends his speech

10:46 a.m.

Trump’s speech lasted just over 41 minutes. Speakers are asked to abide by a 15-minute time limit when speaking at the General Assembly, but leaders frequently surpass that time.

The First Lady and PM @netanyahu among those applauding Pres Trump as he concludes UN address. pic.twitter.com/Tp0TsRpeVS

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) September 19, 2017

Trump applauded after calling for end of “authoritarian” rule in Venezuela

10:42 a.m.

“We call for the full restoration of democracy and political freedoms in Venezuela,” Trump said to applause.

But his jab at the country’s economic system didn’t receive such a warm response.

“The problem in Venezuela is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented,” the president said.

As Trump waited for a response, the assembly hall stayed mostly silent, while some leaders offered a light smattering of laughs and applause.

Trump bemoans U.S. spending on the U.N.

10:36 a.m.

Trump bemoaned U.S. spending on the U.N., saying that it is one of 193 countries in the deliberative body “and yet we pay 22 percent of the entire budget.”

“We pay far more than anybody realizes,” Trump said.

The president said “the powerful people in this room” could be doing more to “solve many of these vicious and complex problems.”

President Trump says the U.S. faces an unfair cost-burden at the UN, calls for reforms https://t.co/wX3NsjFQ00 pic.twitter.com/iLuj56uTBS

— Bloomberg Politics (@bpolitics) September 19, 2017

North Korea delegates left before Trump speech began

10:35 a.m.

North Korea apparently passed on a chance to hear President Trump’s condemnation of its behavior up close.

Bloomberg reported the delegation was given a front-row seat for Trump’s speech to the General Assembly, but left the hall before it began.

North Korea delegation left the United Nations hall before Trump’s speech. https://t.co/bUrYObLZxB

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) September 19, 2017

Trump calls members of Human Rights Council “an embarrassment”

10:31 a.m.

Trump declared it “an embarrassment” that some of the nations that sit on the U.N. Human Rights Council are themselves guilty of abuses.

The president did not single out the countries he thinks are guilty, but the panel includes China and Saudi Arabia. Russia was voted off the panel earlier this year amid concern for its role in propping up Syrian President Bashar Assad in that country’s yearslong civil war.

Trump knocks “loser terrorists”

10:31 a.m.

Trump added more of his personal flavor to the speech, calling out “loser terrorists” and condemning “radical Islamic terrorism.”

“The United States and our allies are working together throughout the Middle East to crush the loser terrorists,” he said, citing efforts to root out safe havens and stamp out terror cells.

The phrase “radical Islamic terrorism” is a divisive one in U.S. foreign policy circles. Trump has argued it’s necessary to call out and identify enemies by name, but critics say it could alienate Muslim allies at home and abroad whom the U.S. wants to enlist to help end extremism.

Trump calls on Iranian people to rise up and resist their government

10:28 a.m.

“Will they continue down the path of poverty, bloodshed and terror?” Trump asked.

“Or will the Iranian people return to the nation’s proud roots as a center of civilization, culture and wealth where their people can be happy and prosperous once again?”

Trump calls Iran deal “the worst” transaction

10:27 a.m.

Trump called the Iran deal brokered by the Obama administration “the worst and most one-sided transaction the U.S. has ever entered into” and “an embarrassment.”

The White House has until Oct. 15 to notify Congress about whether it believes Tehran is in compliance with the deal, which provides sanctions relief in exchange for limitations on Iran’s nuclear program.

“I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it, believe me,” Trump said.

Pres. Trump at #UNGA: Iran deal “is an embarrassment to the United States, and I don’t think you’re heard the last of it.” pic.twitter.com/KWicc0Ubz8

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 19, 2017

Trump addresses Iran

10:25 a.m.

Trump moved on to Iran, saying the nation’s “chief exports are violence, bloodshed and chaos.”

He said the country “speaks openly of mass murder, vowing death to America, destruction to Israel and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room.”

Trump goes after “Rocket Man”

10:22 a.m.

Trump bashed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as “Rocket Man” for his pursuit of nuclear weapons and frequent missile tests.

“Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime,” Trump said. “The U.S. is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary.”

Trump used the moniker in a weekend tweet, but it also appeared to be included in his prepared remarks to the General Assembly.

He challenged the U.N. to take drastic measures to stop Kim’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program.

“This is what the U.N. is for. Let’s see how they do,” he said.

Trump on Kim Jong Un’s nuclear ambitions: “Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime.” pic.twitter.com/s7rlcCbJ5b

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) September 19, 2017

Trump hammers North Korea

10:18 a.m.

Trump hammered North Korea, invoking its political prisoners, including American Otto Warmier, who died after being held captive in the country for 17 months. He also mentioned “a sweet 13-year-old Japanese girl taken from a beach in her own country to enslave her as a language tutor for North Korea’s spies.”

“They respect neither their own citizens nor the sovereign rights of their countries,” Trump said. “If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph. When decent people and nations become bystanders to history, the forces of destruction only gather power and strength.”

Trump takes apparent shot at Paris climate agreement

10:16 a.m.

Trump said the U.S. will never enter into a “one-sided deal” with other nations, an apparent shot at the Paris climate agreement.

“The United States will forever be a great friend to the world, and especially its allies, but we can no longer be taken advantage of or enter into a one-sided deal where the United States gets nothing in return,” he said. “As long as I hold this office, I will uphold America’s interest about all else.”

{mosads}The comments came amid speculation the Trump administration might reverse its position and remain in the climate accord brokered by former President Barack Obama. White House officials denied those reports over the weekend, saying the U.S. intends to leave the agreement or negotiate a better deal.

Trump receives first line of applause in speech

10:15 a.m.

Trump gets the first line of applause for his speech, saying that as president he will put U.S. interests first, “just like you as the leaders of your countries will always and should always put your countries first.”

President Trump to world leaders: I will always put America first, just as you should put your countries first https://t.co/HFi063EawJ pic.twitter.com/DUokOuCuok

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) September 19, 2017

Trump warns against “valley of disrepair”

10:14 a.m.

Trump laid out his vision of the international system, saying it rests on pillars of “sovereignty, security and prosperity.” He said all countries must act in their own self-interest to provide for their own security.

“We meet at a time of both immense promise and great peril,” he said. “It is entirely up to us whether we lift the world to new heights or let it fall to a valley of disrepair.”

Trump hammers the “rogue regimes represented in this body”

10:13 a.m.

The president said some of the nations in the U.N. “not only support terrorists but threaten other nations and their own people with the most destructive weapons known to humanity.”

Pres. Trump at #UNGA: “Rogue regimes represented in this body” threaten other nations with “most destructive weapons known to humanity.” pic.twitter.com/3I13C2yNRK

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 19, 2017

Trump boasts of US economic strength

10:10 a.m.

Trump boasted to world leaders about the strength of the U.S. economy: “The stock market is at an all-time high. A record. Unemployment is at its lowest level in 16 years. And because of our regulatory and other reforms, we have more people working in the United States today than ever before. Companies are moving back, creating job growth the likes of which our country has not seen in a very long time.”

Trump starts speech early

10:07 a.m.

Trump started about 25 minutes earlier than expected, opening by saying it is “a profound honor to stand here in my home city as a representative of the American people to address the people of the world.”

Trump greeted with applause

10:06 a.m.

Trump was greeted with tepid applause Tuesday morning before delivering his speech to the General Assembly. The environment inside the assembly hall is typically staid and subdued, different from what Trump is used to during campaign rallies and other events.

North Korea delegation in front row as Trump speaks

10:04 a.m.

Fox News is reporting that the North Korean delegation will be sitting in the front row directly in front of Trump as he speaks. Seats are delegated through a lottery system. Trump is expected to issue grave warnings about a nuclear North Korea and push the international community to crack down on the country.

Trump arrives at the United Nations

10:02 a.m.

Trump has arrived at the United Nations flanked by first lady Melania Trump, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and scores of security personnel. Trump and his wife spent the night at nearby Trump Tower.

Arriving ahead of his first #UNGA address, Pres. Trump says his message “is of strength and of peace.” https://t.co/FDxxNRSjXX pic.twitter.com/cSqfzCULNu

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 19, 2017

Trump to lay out “America First” agenda

10:00 a.m.

President Trump on Tuesday will lay out his “America First” vision of foreign affairs at the United Nations.

Trump’s address to the General Assembly is a chance for the president to deliver a message to world leaders who are uneasy about his leadership.

He is expected to urge other nations to come together to confront rogue nations like North Korea and Iran, while also arguing that all countries must take more responsibility for their own security.

Trump took a diplomatic approach during his first day at the U.N., but he could offer a tougher message when he addresses the General Assembly. The president’s nationalist policy adviser, Stephen Miller, helped write the speech.

Tags Barack Obama Nikki Haley