The UN LAUGHS at Trump: President says 'I didn't expect that reaction' after giggles greeted his boasts about a year of success before he delivers impassioned speech in favor of patriotism over globalization

  • Donald Trump took credit at the United Nations today for increases in Western defense spending that have eased financial burden on the United States
  • Also highlighted warmed relations with North Korea that could lead to nuclear non-proliferation pact in a keynote speech to the body's general assembly
  • World leaders laughed in Trump's face as he opened a braggadocios address
  • Trump claimed: 'In less than two years my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country'
  • Said that the days of America being taken advantage of are over
  • 'We will no longer tolerate such abuse,' Trump said, pledging that he would no longer allow America to be 'cheated and our wealth to be plundered'

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Donald Trump's opening remarks at the United Nations today drew laughter from world leaders bracing for a braggadocios address.

Trump claimed that in remarks that were written for him that 'in less than two years my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.'

As if reading the speech for the first time, he chimed in with a, 'so true,' leading to laughter from international leaders.

He smiled, taking in stride, and proclaimed, 'didn't expect that reaction but that's OK,' before moving on the extraordinary progress he says he's overseen in the U.S. 

A year ago at the United Nations General Assembly, the U.S. president was slapping North Korea with heavy sanctions. Now he said, 'The missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction.'

'I would like to thank Chairman Kim for his current and steps he has taken,' Trump said while acknowledging, 'So much work remains to be done.' 

Trump relentlessly hammered Iran as a state sponsor of terror and chided China for alleged currency manipulation and intellectual property theft. 

'Those days are over. We will no longer tolerate such abuse,' Trump said. 'We will not allow our workers to be victimized, our companies to be cheated, and our wealth to be plundered and transferred. America will never apologize for protecting its citizens.' 

Donald Trump 's opening remarks at the United Nations today drew laughter from world leaders bracing for a braggadocios address

Donald Trump 's opening remarks at the United Nations today drew laughter from world leaders bracing for a braggadocios address

Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres greets first lady Melania Trump following her husband's speech

Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres greets first lady Melania Trump following her husband's speech

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner listen to Trump speak at the United Nations on Tuesday

All of Trump's adult children were spotted in the audience except for Donald Trump, Jr. who tweeted a photo of himself campaigning this week for Republicans. Next to Jared Kusher is Trump daugther-in-law Lara and Trump's middle son Eric

All of Trump's adult children were spotted in the audience except for Donald Trump, Jr. who tweeted a photo of himself campaigning this week for Republicans. Next to Jared Kusher is Trump daugther-in-law Lara and Trump's middle son Eric

Sovereign message: Trump's resounding message to the United Nations General Assembly was that he would not allow America to be taken advantage of by friends or enemies.

Sovereign message: Trump's resounding message to the United Nations General Assembly was that he would not allow America to be taken advantage of by friends or enemies.

Packed house: The United Nations General Assembly hall was full as Trump delivered his second address to world leaders

Packed house: The United Nations General Assembly hall was full as Trump delivered his second address to world leaders

Unwavering message: Trump made clear he was not changing his 'America first' message and kept it up with attacks on OPEC and China over trade and oil prices

Unwavering message: Trump made clear he was not changing his 'America first' message and kept it up with attacks on OPEC and China over trade and oil prices

Trump's resounding message throughout the remarks to his global audience was that he would not allow America to be taken advantage of by friends or enemies.

'Moving forward, we are only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us and, frankly, are our friends,' he announced. 'And we expect other countries to pay their fair share for the cost of their defense.'

Trump called out Germany, specifically, for an oil and gas deal it entered into with Russia and commended Poland for prioritizing its energy independence.

'Germany will become totally dependent on Russian energy if it does not immediately change course,' he said.

The slam was the closest he came to challenging Russian President Vladimir Putin.

'Here in the Western Hemisphere, we are committed to maintaining our independence from the encroachment of expansionist foreign powers,' he added.

LOVE OF COUNTRY:  TRUMP EMPHASIZES 'PATRIOTISM' AND 'SOVEREIGNTY'

Trump spoke at length about patriotism, saying that other countries' nationals also have the 'heart of a patriot that feels the same powerful love for your nation, the same intense loyalty for your homeland' that Americans do for theirs.

That love of country and dedication and the foundation upon which it is built is necessary, he said, 'to unleash this incredible potential in our people' all across the globe. 'Sovereign and independent nations are the only vehicle where freedom has survived, democracy has ever endured, or peace has ever prospered. 

'And so we must protect our sovereignty and our cherished independence above all,' he said.

GREAT JOB, MR. PRESIDENT: Vice President Mike Pence applauds Trump during his second-ever speech to the United Nations

GREAT JOB, MR. PRESIDENT: Vice President Mike Pence applauds Trump during his second-ever speech to the United Nations

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly (left), White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders (center), U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton (her left), Pence, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (center right) and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listen to Trump's speech intently on Tuesday

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly (left), White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders (center), U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton (her left), Pence, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (center right) and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listen to Trump's speech intently on Tuesday

MOVE OVER, DONALD: First lady Melania Trump wore a sleeveless black ensemble for the occasion 

MOVE OVER, DONALD: First lady Melania Trump wore a sleeveless black ensemble for the occasion 

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Trump's two daughters, Ivanka and Tiffany, leave the UN after their father's address

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Trump's two daughters, Ivanka and Tiffany, leave the UN after their father's address

BORED TO TEARS? A delegate wipes his eyes as Trump delivers his remarks, which began late and lasted longer than his allotted time

BORED TO TEARS? A delegate wipes his eyes as Trump delivers his remarks, which began late and lasted longer than his allotted time

Trump used Nicolás Maduro regime's power grab in Venezuela to make his point, saying, 'All nations of the world should resist socialism and the misery that it brings everyone.' 

'Socialism's thirst for power leads to expansion, incursion, and oppression,' he said. 'Today, we are announcing additional sanctions against the repressive regime, targeting Maduro's inner circle and close advisors.'

Trump anchored his remarks on a theme of 'patriotism, prosperity and pride,' telling fellow leaders, 'Let us choose peace, and freedom over domination and defeat.'

'We believe that when nations respect the rights of their neighbors, and defend the interests of their people, they can better work together to secure the blessings of safety, prosperity, and peace,' he said.

'Forever strong, forever sovereign and forever just,' Trump stated as he signed off, reiterating the point. 

AXIS OF EVIL: TRUMP SMACKS RUSSIAN ALLIES IRAN AND SYRIA

Trump's passing reference to Russia was countered by a heavy assault in the remarks on Putin's allies. 

Trump blamed Rouhani's government for discord in Syria saying that 'every solution to the humanitarian crisis' that has evolved 'must also include a strategy to address the brutal regime that has fueled and financed it: the corrupt dictatorship in Iran.'

'Iran's leaders sow chaos, death, and destruction. They do not respect their neighbors or borders, or the sovereign rights of nations,' he said. 'Instead, Iran's leaders plunder the nation's resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond.'

I HAVE ARRIVED: President Trump speaks to press about Iran and North Korea as he enter the UN with wife Melania and U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley

I HAVE ARRIVED: President Trump speaks to press about Iran and North Korea as he enter the UN with wife Melania and U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley

Trump pushed the theme of 'patriotism, prosperity and pride,' telling fellow leaders, 'let us choose peace, and freedom over domination and defeat'

Trump pushed the theme of 'patriotism, prosperity and pride,' telling fellow leaders, 'let us choose peace, and freedom over domination and defeat'

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN: Trump embraces French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday at the United Nations

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN: Trump embraces French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday at the United Nations

In remarks that indirectly challenged China and Canada, Trump said 'other countries' have not been as generous with their trade policies to the U.S. as is has been to theirs. His speech was attended by representatives from both nations

In remarks that indirectly challenged China and Canada, Trump said 'other countries' have not been as generous with their trade policies to the U.S. as is has been to theirs. His speech was attended by representatives from both nations

First Lady Melania Trump watches her husband deliver remarks at the United Nations

First Lady Melania Trump watches her husband deliver remarks at the United Nations

'The Iranian people are rightly outraged that their leaders have embezzled billions of dollars from Iran's treasury, seized valuable portions of the economy, and looted the people's religious endowments, all to line their own pockets and send their proxies to wage war. Not good,' Trump said.

Trump used Iran's support for dictator Bashar al-Assad as justification for his decision to pull the U.S. out of the 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran.

'The Iran deal was a windfall for Iran's leaders,' he argued. 'The dictatorship used the funds to build nuclear-capable missiles, increase internal repression, finance terrorism, and fund havoc and slaughter in Syria and Yemen.'

Punishing economic sanctions on Iran will resume on Nov. 4 and will continue until the country stops underwriting terror cells and building ballistic missiles.

'We cannot allow the world's leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planet's most dangerous weapons. We cannot allow a regime that chants 'Death to America,' and that threatens Israel with annihilation, to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on Earth. Just can't do it,' he asserted.

TRUMP PLEDGES TO ACT ON A CHEMICAL WEAPONS ATTACK IN SYRIA 

Trump paired the stick with a carrot in his remarks, lauding the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar for pledging billions of dollars of aid to Syrian refugees.

'And they are pursuing multiple avenues to ending Yemen’s horrible, horrific civil war,' he said. 'Ultimately, it is up to the nations of the region to decide what kind of future they want for themselves and their children.'

The country of Jordan should also be commended for hosting refugees from Syria, he said, calling the 'ongoing tragedy' there heartbreaking. Our shared goals must be the de-escalation of military conflict, along with a political solution that honors the will of the Syrian people. In this vein, we urge the United Nations-led peace process be reinvigorated. But, rest assured, the United States will respond if chemical weapons are deployed by the Assad regime.

PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT: TRUMP TOUTS ISRAELI EMBASSY RELOCATION AND FAIR AND RECIPROCAL TRADE

In a nod to Israel, Trump noted that he had moved the United States embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. He spent little time discussing the topic, however, in a departure from his prior suggestions that the move was one of his crowing achievements.

'America's policy of principled realism means we will not be held hostage to old dogmas, discredited ideologies, and so-called experts who have been proven wrong over the years, time and time again. This is true not only in matters of peace, but in matters of prosperity,' he said instead. 

Trump has shaken up American foreign policy in almost every arena, especially when it comes to the relationship between security and trade.  

America has historically placed a premium on its security relationships, even when it has had to make concessions in other policy areas such as trade.

'We believe that trade must be fair and reciprocal. The United States will not be taken advantage of any longer,' he asserted on Tuesday. 

NO MORE MR. NICE GUY: CHINA AND OPEC UNDER A MICROSCOPE

In remarks that indirectly challenged China and Canada, Trump said 'other countries' have not been as generous with their trade policies to the U.S. as is has been to theirs. 

'Even worse, some countries abused their openness to dump their products, subsidize their goods, target our industries, and manipulate their currencies to gain unfair advantage over our country. As a result, our trade deficit ballooned to nearly $800 billion a year,' he said. 'For this reason, we are systematically renegotiating broken and bad trade deals.'  

He pointed to the as-of-yet to be signed U.S.-Mexico trade agreement and a new U.S.-South Korea trade deal, and said: 'This is just the beginning.'

'Many nations in this hall will agree that the world trading system is in dire need of change,' he said.

Rebuffing China, Trump said, 'For example, countries were admitted to the World Trade Organization that violate every single principle on which the organization is based. While the United States and many other nations play by the rules, these countries use government-run industrial planning and state-owned enterprises to rig the system in their favor. They engage in relentless product dumping, forced technology transfer, and the theft of intellectual property.'

'The United States lost over 3 million manufacturing jobs, nearly a quarter of all steel jobs, and 60,000 factories after China joined the WTO. And we have racked up $13 trillion in trade deficits over the last two decades,' he continued. 'The United States has just announced tariffs on another $200 billion in Chinese-made goods for a total, so far, of $250 billion.'

To China's Xi Jinping, who was not attending the United Nations General Assembly this year, Trump said: 'I have great respect and affection for my friend, President Xi, but I have made clear our trade imbalance is just not acceptable. China’s market distortions and the way they deal cannot be tolerated.'

'As my administration has demonstrated, America will always act in our national interest.' 

Trump said he would not tolerate cabals like OPEC to continue 'ripping off' America and the rest of the world, either, and that nations in control of rising prices will have to contribute more to their own military protection as a result.

'We are not going to put up with it -- these horrible prices -- much longer,' he said. 'I don't like it. Nobody should like it. We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. Not good.' 

Donald Trump will take credit at the United Nations today for warmed relations with North Korea that could lead to nuclear non-proliferation pact in a keynote speech to the body's general assembly. The President is seen here with Kim Jong-un in June 

Donald Trump will take credit at the United Nations today for warmed relations with North Korea that could lead to nuclear non-proliferation pact in a keynote speech to the body's general assembly. The President is seen here with Kim Jong-un in June 

LITTLE ROCKET MAN: KIM JONG-UN GETS A SHOUT OUT 

A year ago this month, Trump used his first-ever remarks to the body to smack around North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, describing him as 'Rocket Man on a suicide mission' over his refusal to relinquish the country's nuclear weapons.

But in Monday remarks in New York, Trump declared that after meeting Kim at a June summit he has a 'very good relationship' with the American adversary and intends to meet him for a second summit 'quite soon' to continue negotiations.

'If you'll remember, the rhetoric last year was extremely tough last year with North Korea,' Sanders said this morning on ABC News. 'I think you'll see certainly see different tone, and a lot of progress has been made on that front,in large part due to the president's leadership.' 

Trump expressed his gratitude to foreign leaders who stood behind his effort to replace the 'specter of conflict with a bold and new push for peace' as demonstrated by his meeting with Kim in Singapore. 

'Since that meeting, we have already seen a number of encouraging measures that few could have imagined only a short time ago,' he said. 'Our hostages have been released. And as promised, the remains of our fallen heroes are being returned home to lay at rest in American soil.'

Trump has since turned his attention to curbing the nuclear threat from Iran and a deal the U.S. exited in search of a longer-term agreement with the nation that includes its terror financing. He is reintroducing sanctions on Tehran that were lifted as part of the 2015 agreement in November.

'Our actions in and around the Middle East have made clear we will not continue to accept Iran's bad behavior,' U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told journalists on Monday.

Trump said in a Tuesday morning tweet that he would not be meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani while he's in New York.

'I will meet with them when they change their tune,' he told journalists as he entered the United Nations. 

Pompeo said the theme of Trump's speech to the general assembly would be 'sovereignty' of the U.S. and other law-abiding nations of the world.

A year ago this month, Trump (pictured yesterday at the United Nations General Assembly) used his first-ever remarks to the body to smack around North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, describing him as 'Rocket Man on a suicide mission' over his refusal to relinquish the country's nuclear weapons

A year ago this month, Trump (pictured yesterday at the United Nations General Assembly) used his first-ever remarks to the body to smack around North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, describing him as 'Rocket Man on a suicide mission' over his refusal to relinquish the country's nuclear weapons

The White House had said that Trump would boast that Western defense spending had increased under his leadership, easing the financial burden on the United States. He was also supposed to talk about warmed relations with North Korea that could lead to nuclear non-proliferation pact in the keynote speech.

'I think that his speech this morning is going to be a great moment for the president. We've had a tremendous amount of success, particularly when it comes to the foreign policy front, over the last year, since he gave his last speech,' White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told 'Good Morning America' on Tuesday.  

'WE'RE HERE WITH A BANG': TRUMP FINDS HIS FOOTING AT UNGA

 U.S. officials said Monday that Trump's leadership is the reason that allied nations have stepped up their own efforts to fight international threats from terror cells and tyrants, as well as issues like the global drug epidemic. 

'Last year we started UNGA and it was trying to figure what the U.S. presence was going to be,' U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley told reporters. 'This year, we're here with a bang.' 

In the year since Trump's last address to the United Nations, he has turned U.S. foreign policy on its head, raking countries the U.S. considers friends over the coals for trade practices he says are unfair and embracing nations like North Korea that the previous administration had totally shunned.  

'That theme will endure in his speech tomorrow, along with a recap about how his call for every nation to do its part has paid dividends for the United States and the world over this past year,' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

He added, 'For example, President Trump's leadership, combined with efforts of countries to enforce the pressure campaign, has deescalated tensions with North Korea and brought us closer to our final goal: the final, fully verified denuclearization of the DRPK, as agreed to by Chairman Kim Jong Un.'

Trump's brand new version of the Cadillac presidential limousine known as 'The Beast' awaits the president outside Trump tower this morning prior to his address to the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly

Trump's brand new version of the Cadillac presidential limousine known as 'The Beast' awaits the president outside Trump tower this morning prior to his address to the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly

U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton, a former United Nations ambassador, stressed that 'infringements on our sovereignty are not infringements on abstractions or infringements on the government, they're an infringement on the people themselves.'  He said that Trump's speech would make the point in a number of ways. 

Pompeo told reporters, 'Americans expect the United States to assert bold leadership on the world stage that reflects our values. And under President Trump, we are certainly leading from the front.'

Trump in a morning tweet said his speech would highlight the security results he's achieved for Americans and the respect he says it's getting abroad under his leadership.

'Our country is much stronger and much richer than it was when I took office less than two years ago. We are also MUCH safer!' he tweeted.

Tacking on to the claim in his remarks, Trump said, 'America’s economy is booming like never before. Since my election, we’ve added $10 trillion in wealth. The stock market is at an all-time high in history, and jobless claims are at a 50-year low. African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American unemployment have all achieved their lowest levels ever recorded. We’ve added more than 4 million new jobs, including half a million manufacturing jobs.

'We have passed the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history. We’ve started the construction of a major border wall, and we have greatly strengthened border security,' he stated. 'In other words, the United States is stronger, safer, and a richer country than it was when I assumed office less than two years ago.

'We are standing up for America and for the American people. And we are also standing up for the world,' he stated.  

Trump told countries that may not share the United States' beliefs: 'I honor the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs, and traditions. The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship.'

'We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.' 

Trump claimed later, as he was exiting the United Nations after a lunch that he wasn't bothered by the laughter during that section of his speech, which had begun with the claim that his aides 'had accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.'

''That was meant to get some laughter, but it was great,' he said.

DONALD TRUMP'S SPEECH TO THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY: READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT

Madam President, Mr. Secretary General, world leaders, ambassadors, and distinguished delegates:

One year ago, I stood before you for the first time in this grand hall. I addressed the threats facing our world, and I presented a vision to achieve a brighter future for all of humanity. Today, I stand before the United Nations General Assembly to share the extraordinary progress we have made.

In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country. America is so thrilled. 

I did not expect that reaction, but that's okay. 

America's economy is booming like never before. Since my election, we have added $10 trillion in wealth. The stock market is at an all-time high in history, and jobless claims are at a 50-year low. 

African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American unemployment have all achieved their lowest levels ever recorded. We have added more than 4 million new jobs, including half a million manufacturing jobs. We have passed the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history. 

We have started the construction of a major border wall, and we have greatly strengthened border security. We have secured record funding for our military, $700 billion this year and $716 billion next year. 

Our military will soon be more powerful than it has ever been before. In other words, the United States is stronger, safer, and a richer country than it was when I assumed office less than two years ago. We are standing up for America and the American people. 

We are also standing up for the world. This is great news for our citizens and for peace-loving people everywhere. 

We believe that when nations respect the rights of their neighbors and defend the interests of their people, they can better work together to secure the blessings of safety, prosperity, and peace. 

Each of us here today is the emissary of a distinct culture, a rich history, and a people bound together by ties of memory, tradition, and the values that make our homelands like nowhere else on Earth. 

That is why America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control, and domination. I honor the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs, and traditions. 

The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.

From Warsaw to Brussels to Tokyo to Singapore, it has been my highest honor to represent the United States abroad. I have forged close relationships and friendships and strong partnerships with the leaders of many nations in this room.

Our approach has always yielded incredible change. With support from many countries here today, we have engaged with North Korea to replace the specter of conflict with a bold and new push for peace. 

In June, I traveled to Singapore to meet face-to-face with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un. 

We had highly productive conversations and meetings. We agreed that it was in both countries' interest to pursue the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. 

Since that meeting, we have seen a number of encouraging measures that few could have imagined a short time ago. The missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction. Nuclear testing has stopped. Some military facilities are already being dismantled. Our hostages have been released. 

And as promised, the remains of our fallen heroes are being returned home, to lay at rest in American soil.

I would like to thank Chairman Kim for his courage and for the steps he has taken, though much work remains to be done. The sanctions will stay in place until denuclearization occurs. 

I also want to thank the many member states who helped us reach this moment, a moment that is actually far greater than people would understand -far greater.

But for, also, their support and the critical support that we will all need going forward, a special thanks for President Moon of South Korea, the Prime Minister Abe of Japan, and President Xi of China.

In the Middle East, our new approach is yielding great strides and very historic change. Following my trip to Saudi Arabia last year, the Gulf countries opened a new center to target terrorist financing. 

They are enforcing new sanctions, working with us to identify and track terrorist networks, and taking more responsibility for fighting terrorism and extremism in their own region. 

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have pledged billions of dollars to aid the people of Syria and Yemen, and they are pursuing multiple avenues to ending Yemen's horrible, horrific civil war.

Ultimately, it is up to the nations of the region to decide what kind of future they want for themselves and their children. For that reason, the United States is working with the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jordan, and Egypt to establish a regional strategic alliance so that Middle Eastern nations can advance prosperity, stability, and security across their home region.

Thanks to the United States military, and our partnership with many of your nations, I am pleased to report that the bloodthirsty killers known as Isis have been driven out from the territory they once held in Iraq and Syria. 

We will continue to work with friends and allies to deny radical Islamic terrorists funding, territory, or support or any means of infiltrating our borders.

The ongoing tragedy in Syria is heartbreaking. Our shared goals must be the de-escalation of military conflict along with a political solution that honors the will of the Syrian people. 

In this vein, we urge the United Nations-led peace process to be reinvigorated. 

But rest assured, the United States will respond if chemical weapons are deployed by the Assad regime. 

I commend the people of Jordan and other neighboring countries for hosting refugees from this very brutal civil war. 

As we see in Jordan, the most compassionate policy is to place refugees as close to their homes as possible, to ease their eventual return to be part of the rebuilding process. This approach also stretches finite resources to help far more people, increasing the impact of every dollar spent.

Every solution to the humanitarian crisis in Syria must also include a strategy to address the brutal regime that is fueled and financed in the corrupt dictatorship in Iran. 

Iran's leaders sow chaos, death, and disruption. They do not respect their neighbors or borders, or the sovereign rights of nations. Instead, Iran's leaders plunder the nation's resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond. 

The Iranian people are rightly outraged that their leaders have embezzled billions of dollars from Iran's treasury, seized valuable portions of the economy, and looted the religious endowments, all to line their own pockets and send their proxies to wage war. Not good. 

Iran's neighbors have paid a heavy toll for the regime's agenda of aggression and expansion. That is why so many countries in the Middle East strongly supported my decision to withdraw the United States from the horrible 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimpose nuclear sanctions.

The Iran deal was a windfall for Iran's leaders. In the year since the deal has been reached, the military budget grew nearly 40 percent. 

The dictatorship used the funds to build nuclear-capable missiles, increase internal repression, finance terrorism, and fund havoc and slaughter in Syria and Yemen. The United States has launched a campaign of economic pressure to deny the regime the funds it needs to advance its bloody agenda. 

Last month, we began reimposing hard-hitting nuclear sanctions that have been lifted under the Iran deal. Additional sanctions will resume November 5, and more will follow. 

We are working with countries that import Iranian crude oil to cut their purchases substantially. We cannot allow the world's leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planet's most dangerous weapons. 

We cannot allow a regime that chants 'Death to America' and that threatens Israel with annihilation to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on Earth. We just cannot do it. 

We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues, and we ask all nations to support Iran's people as they struggle to reclaim their religious and righteous destiny.

This year, we took another significant step forward in the Middle East in recognition of every sovereign state to determine its own capital. I moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. 

The United States is committed to a future of peace and stability in the region, including peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. 

That aim is advanced, not harmed, by acknowledging the obvious facts. America's policy of principled realism means that we will not be held hostage to old dogmas, discredited ideologies, and so-called experts who have been proven wrong, over the years, time and time again.

This is true, not only in matters of peace, but in matters of prosperity. We believe that trade must be fair and reciprocal. The United States will not be taken advantage of any longer. 

For decades, the United States opened its economy, the largest by far on Earth, with few conditions. We allowed foreign goods from all over the world to flow freely across our borders. 

Yet other countries did not grant us free and reciprocal access to their markets in return. Even worse, some countries abused their openness to dump their products, subsidize their goods, target our industries, and manipulate their currencies to gain unfair advantage over our country. 

As a result, our trade deficit ballooned to nearly $800 billion a year. For this reason, we are systematically renegotiating broken and bad trade deals. Last month, we announced a groundbreaking U.S. - Mexico trade agreement.

Just yesterday, I stood with President Moon to announce the successful completion of the brand-new U.S.-Korea trade deal. This is just the beginning. 

Many nations in this hall will agree that the world trading system is in dire need of change. For example, countries were admitted to the World Trade Organization that violate every single principle on which the organization is based. 

While the United States and many other nations played by the rules, these countries use government-run industrial planning and state-owned enterprises to rig the system in their favor. 

They engaged in relentless product dumping, forced technology transfer, and the theft of intellectual property. 

The United States lost over 3 million manufacturing jobs, nearly a quarter of all steel jobs, and 60,000 factories after China joined the WTO. We have racked up $13 trillion in trade deficits over the last two decades.

But those days are over. We will no longer tolerate such abuse. We will no longer allow our workers to be victimized, our companies to be cheated, and our wealth to be plundered and transferred. America will never apologize for protecting its citizens. 

The United States has just announced tariffs on another $200 billion in Chinese-made goods, for a total so far of $250 billion.

I have great respect and affection for my friend President Xi, but I have made clear that our trade imbalance is just not acceptable. China's market distortions and the way they deal cannot be tolerated.

As my administration has demonstrated, America will always act in our national interests. 

I spoke before this body last year and warned that the UN Human Rights Council had become a grave embarrassment to this institution, shielding egregious human-rights abusers while bashing America and its many friends.

 Our ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, laid out a clear agenda for reform, but despite reported and repeated warnings, no action at all was taken. 

So the United States took the only responsible course: We withdrew from the Human Rights Council and we will not return until real reform is enacted.

For similar reasons, the United States will provide no support and recognition to the International Criminal Court. As far as America is concerned, the ICC has no jurisdiction, no legitimacy, and no authority.

The ICC claims near-universal jurisdiction over the citizens of every country, violating all principles of justice, fairness, and due process. We will never surrender America's sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable global bureaucracy. 

America is governed by Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism. Around the world, responsible nations must defend against threats to sovereignty not just from global governance, but also from new forms of coercion and domination.

In America, we believe in energy security for ourselves and for our allies. We have become the largest energy producer anywhere on the face of the Earth. 

The United States stands ready to export our abundant, affordable supply of oil, clean coal, and natural gas. OPEC and OPEC nations are, as usual, ripping off the rest of the world, and I don't like it. Nobody should like it. 

We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. Not good. 

We want them to stop raising prices; we want them to start lowering prices. They must contribute substantially to military protection from now on. 

We are not going to put up with it, these horrible prices, much longer. Reliance on a single foreign supplier can leave a nation vulnerable to extortion and intimidation. 

That is why we congratulate European states such as Poland for leading the construction of a Baltic pipeline so that nations are not dependent on Russia to meet their energy needs. Germany will become totally dependent on Russian energy if it does not immediately change course.

Here in the Western Hemisphere, we are committed to maintaining our independence from the encroachment of expansionist foreign powers. 

It has been the formal policy of our country since President Monroe that we reject the interference of foreign nations in this hemisphere and in our own affairs. 

The United States has recently strengthened our laws to better screen foreign investments in our country for national-security threats. We welcome cooperation with countries in this region and around the world that wish to do the same. You need to do it for your own protection.

The United States is also working with partners in Latin America to confront threats to sovereignty from uncontrolled migration. Tolerance for human struggling and human smuggling and trafficking is not humane. 

It is a horrible thing that is going on, at levels that nobody has ever seen before. It is very, very cruel. Illegal immigration funds criminal networks, ruthless gangs, and the flow of deadly drugs. 

Illegal immigration exploits vulnerable populations and hurts hardworking citizens and has produced a vicious cycle of crime, violence, and poverty. 

Only by upholding national borders, destroying criminal gangs can we break the cycle and establish a real foundation for prosperity.

We recognize the right of every nation in this room to set its own immigration policy in accordance with its national interests, just as we ask other countries to respect our own right to do the same, which we are doing. 

That is one reason the United States will not participate in the new Global Compact on Migration. Migration should not be governed by an international body, unaccountable to our own citizens. 

Ultimately, the only long-term solution to the migration crisis is to help people build more hopeful futures in their home countries. Make their countries great again.

Currently, we are witnessing a human tragedy as an example in Venezuela. More than 2 million people have fled the anguish inflicted by the socialist Maduro regime and its Cuban sponsors. 

Not long ago, Venezuela was one of the richest countries on earth. Today, socialism has bankrupted the oil-rich nation and driven its people into abject poverty. 

Virtually everywhere, socialism or communism has been tried. It has produced suffering, corruption, and decay. Socialism's thirst for power leads to expansion, incursion, and oppression. 

All nations of the world should resist socialism and the misery that it brings to everyone. In that spirit, we ask the nations gathered here to join us in calling for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. 

Today, we are announcing additional sanctions against the repressive regime, targeting Maduro's inner circle and close advisers.

We are grateful for all of the work the United Nations does around the world to help people build better lives for themselves and their families. The United States is the world's largest giver in the world by far of foreign aid. 

But few give anything to us. That is why we are taking a hard look at U.S. foreign assistance. That will be headed up by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 

We will examine what is working, what is not working, and whether the countries who receive our dollars and our protection also have our interests at heart.

Moving forward, we are only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us and, frankly, are our friends. We expect other countries to pay their fair share for the cost of their defense. 

The United States is committed to making the United Nations more effective and accountable. I have said many times that the United Nations has unlimited potential. 

As part of our reform effort, I have told our negotiators that the United States will not pay more than 25 percent of the UN peacekeeping budget. 

This will encourage other countries to step up, get involved, and also share in this very large burden.

We are working to shift more of our funding from assessed contributions to voluntary so that we can target American resources to the programs with the best record of success. 

Only when we each of us does our part and contributes our share can we realize the United Nations' highest aspirations. We must pursue peace without fear, hope without despair, and security without apology.

Looking around this hall, where so much history has transpired, we think of the many before us who have come here to address the challenges of their nations and of their times. 

Our thoughts turn to the same question that ran through all of their speeches and resolutions, through every word and every hope. It is the question of, what kind of world will we leave for our children and what kind of nations they will inherit. 

The dreams that fill this hall today are as diverse as the people who have stood at this podium, and as varied as the countries represented right here, in this body, are. It really is something. It really is great, great history.

There is India, a free society over a billion people, successfully lifting countless millions out of poverty and into the middle class. 

There is Saudi Arabia, where King Salman and the crown prince are pursuing bold new reforms. There is Israel, proudly celebrating its 70th anniversary as a thriving democracy in the Holy Land. 

In Poland, the great people are standing up for their independence, their security, and their sovereignty.

Many countries are pursuing their own unique visions, building their own hopeful futures, and chasing their own wonderful dreams of destiny, of legacy, and of a home. 

The whole world is richer. Humanity is better because of this beautiful constellation of nations, each very special, each very unique, each shining brightly in its part of the world. 

In each one, we see also promise of a people bound together by a shared past and working toward a common future.

As for Americans, we know what kind of future we want for ourselves. We know what kind of a nation America must always be. In America, we believe in the majesty of freedom and the dignity of the individual. 

We believe in self-government and the rule of law. We prize the culture that sustains our liberty, a culture built on strong families, deep faith, and fierce independence. 

We celebrate our heroes, we treasure our traditions, and, above all, we love our country. 

Inside everyone in this great chamber today, and everyone listening all around the globe, 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, sacrifice and selflessness, scientific breakthroughs and magnificent works of art. 

Our task is not to erase it, but to embrace it—to build with it, to draw on its ancient wisdom, and to find within it the will to make our nations greater, our regions safer, and the world better. 

To unleash this incredible potential in our people, we must defend the foundations that make it all possible. Sovereign and independent nations are the only vehicle where freedom has ever survived, democracy has ever endured, or peace has ever prospered. 

And so we must protect our sovereignty 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, and new spirit flourishing all around us, and making this a more beautiful world in which to live.

Together, let us choose a future of patriotism, prosperity, and pride. Let us choose peace and freedom over domination and defeat. Let us come here to this place to stand for our people and their nations. 

Forever strong, forever sovereign, forever just. Forever thankful for the grace and the goodness and the glory of God. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the nations of the world. Thank you very much.   

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