At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a forceful address that put immigration at the center of his message, accusing the UN of financing programs that encourage mass migration and undermine national sovereignty.
Marking the 80th anniversary of the UN’s founding, Trump told assembled world leaders that the organization was “funding an assault on your countries” by supporting food, housing, and travel assistance for migrants headed toward Western nations. He described international migration as a “failed experiment” and urged governments to seal their borders and deport foreigners.
“Your countries are going to hell,” Trump warned, directly challenging European leaders whom he accused of eroding their cultural identity for the sake of political correctness. “If you don’t stop people you have nothing in common with, your country is going to fail,” he added, framing the United States’ own immigration crackdown as a model for others to follow.
The president also singled out London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, in remarks that stirred controversy, alleging that the British capital had been “changed” by migration and even suggesting it risked slipping toward sharia law.
Beyond migration, Trump attacked the UN’s broader effectiveness, calling it a body of “empty words” that issues statements but takes little action. He argued that its peacekeeping record was weak and that global conflicts required direct intervention rather than what he dismissed as “strongly worded letters.”
Trump also revisited his long-standing rejection of the Paris climate agreement, branding climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.” He mocked renewable energy initiatives, warning that reliance on wind and solar power was economically destructive while strengthening polluting states.
Turning to the war in Ukraine, Trump said he believed Kyiv could still reclaim its occupied lands, but only if European allies stopped purchasing Russian energy. “They’re funding the war against themselves,” he said, urging NATO members to end reliance on Moscow’s oil and gas.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking after Trump, defended the multilateral system, warning that the UN’s harshest critics are often those seeking to dominate the global order.
Trump’s speech, with its fierce denunciations of migration and international institutions, drew cheers from his supporters but alarm from allies who fear that his “America First” agenda could weaken the very foundations of global cooperation.
