Updated Article
By Aisha Muhammad Magaji
Former U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the world stage at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with a fiery speech that took aim at the global body’s credibility, accusing it of failing to deliver on peace and encouraging destructive migration policies.
Trump told delegates that the UN had become an organization that “writes strongly worded letters” but cannot enforce peace. He warned that Western nations were “being destroyed” by uncontrolled migration and insisted that governments must “close their borders” and “send people back.” Questioning the institution’s very existence, he asked pointedly, “What is the purpose of the United Nations if it cannot secure peace or protect sovereignty?”
He also mocked the institution itself, turning a malfunctioning teleprompter and broken escalator in the UN building into symbols of inefficiency. “The broken equipment says everything about this place,” Trump quipped, drawing chuckles from some delegates and stony silence from others.
Sharp Divide in Reactions
The speech triggered swift responses both inside and outside the Assembly hall.
A senior European diplomat, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, described Trump’s rhetoric as “dangerously divisive,” warning that it risked undermining years of painstakingly built multilateral cooperation. “We cannot solve global crises by retreating into nationalism,” the diplomat said.
In contrast, Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó praised Trump’s remarks, calling them “a necessary reminder that sovereignty is non-negotiable.” Similarly, Brazil’s right-leaning lawmakers hailed the speech as “refreshing honesty.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres avoided a direct rebuttal but reaffirmed the body’s stance that migration, if properly managed, strengthens societies and that durable peace requires more cooperation, not less.
U.S. Political Reactions
Trump’s remarks also sparked debate back home. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy criticized the speech, saying it was “an abdication of America’s role as a global leader.” He argued that the U.S. benefits from working with allies and warned that “walking away from the UN would only create more instability.”
Republican Senator Josh Hawley, however, applauded Trump, tweeting that the former president was “telling the truth about a bloated institution that wastes money while Americans struggle at home.”
Policy analysts were similarly split. Some, like the Council on Foreign Relations’ Rachel Vogelstein, argued that Trump’s claims ignored the UN’s successes in health, humanitarian aid, and peacekeeping. Others, like the Heritage Foundation’s James Carafano, said the speech “hit a nerve” because “the UN has indeed drifted far from its core mission.”
Civil Society and NGOs
Human rights groups also weighed in. Amnesty International accused Trump of “dehumanizing vulnerable people” by portraying migrants as a threat. The International Rescue Committee stressed that refugee resettlement programs save lives and said Trump’s rhetoric could fuel hostility toward migrants worldwide.
On the other hand, U.S. conservative think-tank Center for Immigration Studies endorsed Trump’s message, saying the UN often pressures countries into migration commitments that strain their resources.
Implications
Trump’s return to the UN spotlight underscored the continuing global divide between nationalism and multilateralism. His words may shape debates in Washington over whether the U.S. should scale back funding for UN programs, particularly in peacekeeping and refugee assistance.
For allies and adversaries alike, the speech was a reminder that U.S. policy under Trump remains unpredictable confrontational toward international institutions, but resonating with nationalist audiences worldwide.
