President Trump’s Remarks at the 2025 United Nations General Assembly [Highlights & Full Video]

At the 2025 United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 23, 2025, President Donald J. Trump delivered a wide-ranging speech that mixed humour, pointed criticism of the U.N., and sweeping claims about his administration’s achievements in the United States and abroad.

Speaking initially without a teleprompter due to a technical glitch, Trump quipped that “whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble,” before pivoting into a fiery address that sought to project American strength and leadership.

Domestic Achievements and Economic Strength

Trump declared that the United States is now in a “golden age,” highlighting what he described as the nation’s resurgence after what he called four years of “weakness, lawlessness and radicalism” under the Biden administration. He pointed to falling inflation, reduced energy and grocery prices, record stock market highs, and what he claimed were historic inflows of foreign investment – more than $17 trillion in just eight months.

He also touted sweeping tax and regulatory cuts, rising wages, and the “zero illegal border crossings” reported over the past four months, crediting his administration’s strict border enforcement. “If you come illegally into the United States, you are going to jail or you are going back,” Trump declared, thanking El Salvador for its cooperation in detaining deported criminals.

Criticism of the United Nations

The President repeatedly criticised the U.N., mocking its inefficiency and recalling his experience bidding on a renovation of the U.N. headquarters. He lamented that, despite its potential, the organisation had failed to play a significant role in resolving global conflicts. “The U.N. has such tremendous potential… but for now, all they seem to do is write a strongly worded letter and never follow it up,” he said, contrasting the body’s inaction with his own claims of having ended seven long-running wars in just seven months.

Trump also blasted U.N. funding for migration programs, accusing it of “financing an assault on Western borders” and supporting illegal migration into the U.S. “The U.N. is supposed to stop invasions, not create them,” he stated firmly.

Global Security and Foreign Policy

On international security, Trump reiterated that Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. He described “Operation Midnight Hammer,” in which U.S. bombers destroyed Iranian nuclear facilities, claiming this brought about an end to a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran. He warned against rewarding Hamas with recognition of Palestinian statehood while hostages remained captive, calling instead for their immediate release.

Turning to Ukraine, Trump argued the war would never have started under his leadership. He criticised NATO members and countries like India and China for continuing to purchase Russian energy, thereby funding the war effort. He suggested that coordinated tariffs against Russia could end the conflict and urged Europe to “step it up.”

Trump further called for a global end to the development of nuclear and biological weapons, announcing a U.S.-led effort to enforce the Biological Weapons Convention using AI-powered verification systems.

Closing Appeal

Despite his sharp rebukes, Trump concluded by extending “the hand of American leadership and friendship” to any nation willing to join the U.S. in forging what he described as a safer and more prosperous world. Stressing the need for action over words, he emphasised that “only action solves war” and positioned the United States as the indispensable leader in confronting the world’s greatest threats.

The address underscored Trump’s familiar themes: a hard line on immigration, scepticism of multilateral institutions, and a focus on projecting American strength and dominance. Whether his claims resonate beyond his supporters at home remains to be seen, but the speech left no doubt about his intention to reassert U.S. primacy on the world stage.