New York Times: The podium of the United Nations was an unusual setting for the leader of a global superpower to threaten to “annihilate the Islamic republic” of Iran or to declare that, in another conflict, “to the victor belong the spoils.”
Yet that was exactly what President Trump did on Tuesday, in threatening Iran if it failed to make a deal to end a war that had stretched far longer than Mr. Trump anticipated, and justifying his claims on Venezuelan oil reserves after American forces deposed its leader…
Trump said, “I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me. You shouldn’t be here!” Collins replied, “The United Nations allowed us in, sir.”
Trump, addressing Collins, continued: “You should not be here covering me. You said you weren’t going to cover me. You shouldn’t be covering me.” He then walked away…
In UN farewell, Macron denounces Trump’s Gaza diplomacy as spectacle of shame
He spoke at the United Nations General Assembly hours after Trump had from the same rostrum hailed his Gaza peace plan as a diplomatic triumph.
“A year ago, here in this very hall, about a dozen states had recognized Palestine. I hear the cynicism of some people: ‘Recognition is just a piece of paper, look at the reality,'” Macron said, banging his fist on the podium in his last speech at the United Nations before stepping down next May.
“But what credibility do we have if we continue to remain inactive in the face of Gaza? Some boast of a supposed peace. But that peace has not reopened humanitarian access for a single second. Are we simply to stand by and watch this spectacle that should shame us all?”…
Trump invades the UN with a brutish speech
Gone was any shred of US idealism. It was a spectacle of raw power – a power that is likely to only diminish in the years ahead…
Trump warns U.N. he might ‘annihilate’ Iran as war overshadows diplomacy
“I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?” Trump told leaders at the U.N. General Assembly. “Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?”
Taken seriously, Trump’s threat amounted to a contemplation of mass slaughter with little parallel in human history, with deadly consequences for Iran’s 93 million people.
He has, however, shown little inclination for large-scale assaults against Iran since the opening weeks of the war, despite repeated threats…
Trump Puts Legacy Ahead of Midterm Politics in Speech at U.N.
At the U.N. on Tuesday, Trump didn’t appear to be concerned about the political fallout of his statements. The president doubled-down on his muscular foreign policy agenda, positioning his interventions on multiple continents as the centerpiece of his second term—and his post-White House legacy…
Trump made multiple false and misleading claims in front of the UN General Assembly