Trump UNGA Speech Highlights: More than 140 world leaders will descend upon New York City this week for the UN General Assembly — discussing efforts to secure global peace and security. Much of the discussions are expected to focus on the Ukraine and Gaza wars as well as climate change and the growing use of artificial intelligence. US President Donald Trump is slated to address the summit on Tuesday, delivering his first remarks to the UNGA since returning to power in January.
The US president’s speech is typically among the most anticipated moments of the annual assembly. This one comes at one of the most volatile moments in the world body’s 80-year-old history. Global leaders are being tested by intractable wars in Gaza,Ukraine and Sudan, uncertainty about the economic and social impact of emerging artificial intelligence technology, and anxiety about Trump’s antipathy for the global body.
What will Trump talk about?
According to the White House, Trump will deliver a wide-ranging address on his second-term foreign policy achievements He is also expected to decry the ways in which “globalist institutions have significantly decayed the world order”. The POTUS will also hold hold one-on-one meetings with UN secretary general António Guterres and the leaders of Ukraine, Argentina and the EU following his speech.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump would also tout “the renewal of American strength around the world” and his efforts to help end several wars.
The US President is also slated to hold a group meeting with officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Trump is likely to discuss a wide range of issues — including his principles for postwar governance in Gaza.
Gaza war and Palestinian recognition
Much of the focus will be on the Israel-Palestine conflict — with the UNGA coming amid growing calls for a ceasefire and implementation of a two-state solution. Several countries including the UK, France and Australia have moved to recognise the Palestinian state this month in a bid to ramp up pressure on Israel.
Trump has struggled to deliver on his 2024 campaign promises to quickly end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His response has been also relatively muted as some longtime American allies are using this year’s General Assembly to spotlight the growing international campaign for recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that the US and Israel vehemently oppose. The White House said Trump sees the push as “just more talk and not enough action from some of our friends and allies.” Trump, for his part, in the lead-up to Tuesday’s address has tried to keep focus on getting agreement on a ceasefire that leads Hamas to releasing its remaining 48 hostages, including 20 still believed be alive.
80th Session of UN General Assembly 2025 LIVE Updates:
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump says broken teleprompter, escalator glitch made speech 'more interesting'
"The teleprompter was broken and the escalator came to a sudden hault as we were ridding up to the podium, but both of those events probably made the speech more interesting than it would have been otherwise. It is always an honor to speak at the United Nations, even if, their equipment is somewhat faulty," he wrote on Truth Social.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump says his speech was 'well received', calls it a 'great honour' to address UN
"It was a great honor to speak before the United Nations. I believe the speech was very well received. It focused very much on energy and migration/immigration. I have been talking about this for a long period of time and this Forum, was the absolute best from the standpoint of making these two important statements. I hope everybody gets to watch it!" he wrote on Truth Social.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Erdogan says 'no two sides in Gaza'
"There is no war in Gaza. There are not two sides in gaza. This is an invasion, a genocide, a policy of mass massacre," he said.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Erdogan urges other countries to recognise Palestinian state
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called on Tuesday for other countries to recognise a Palestinian state after such moves by Western powers, calling for a ceasefire as soon as possible in Gaza.
"A genocide is continuing in Gaza, even as we meet here innocent people are dying," Erdogan said.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump shares warning for drug traffickers - 'We will blow you out of existence'
"To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned that we will blow you out of existence," Trump said in an address to the United Nations.
He also asserted, without evidence, that every boat hit by US forces contained drugs that would kill more than 25,000 Americans.
Trump repeated his assertion that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro leads drug trafficking networks, which Maduro denies.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump says Christianity 'most persecuted religion on the planet'
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump says countries 'failing' because of immigration, green renewable energy
"Immigration and the high cost of so-called green renewable energy is destroying a large part of the free world and a large part of our planet. Countries that cherish freedom are fading fast because of their policies on these two subjects. You need strong borders and traditional energy sources if you're going to be great again," he advised.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump slams Brazil - 'They will fail without us'
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump slams Brazil - 'They will fail without us'
Trump calls China, India 'primary funders' of Russian war
“China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil,” Trump said.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: 'The carbon footprint is a hoax' insists Trump
'The carbon footprint is a hoax' - Trump
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump rubbishes climate change threat - 'Your country is going to fail'
"It's the greatest con job perpetrated on the world in my opinion....all of these predictions made by the United Nations and other organisations were wrong. They were made by stupid people. If you don't get away from this 'green scam'...your country is going to fail. I've been right about everything and I'm telling you...if you don't get away from the green scam, your country is going to fail," he insisted.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump rails against windmills, bats for use of fossil fuels
Trump rails against windmills, bats for use of fossil fuels
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump slams migration in Europe - 'Your countries are going to hell'
"We’ve taken bold action to swiftly shut down uncontrolled migration. Once we started detaining and deporting everyone who crossed the border and removing illegal aliens from the United States. They simply stopped coming...It’s time to end the failed experiment of open borders. You have to end it now. Your countries are going to hell," he said.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump lashes out at Maduro over drug 'issue'
US President Donald Trump also took aim at Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro during his speech.
The remarks come after recent US operations against boats suspected of carrying narcotics from Venezuelan waters. Last week, Trump said that American forces had carried out a third strike targeting a ship that he claimed was "trafficking illicit narcotics", killing at least three men on board. This came after Venezuela accused the US of waging an "undeclared war" in the Caribbean and called for a United Nations probe into the strike
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Sunday said that the United States had received a letter from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro but dismissed its contents, calling it "full of lies".
"We have seen this letter. Frankly, I think there were a lot of lies that were repeated by Maduro in that letter, and the administration's position on Venezuela has not changed," Leavitt told reporters at the media briefing.
She said the US continues to view the Maduro government as illegitimate and stressed that President Donald Trump remains firm on countering drug trafficking allegedly linked to Venezuela.
"We view the Maduro regime as illegitimate, and the president has clearly shown that he's willing to use any and all means necessary to stop the illegal trafficking of deadly drugs from the Venezuelan regime into the United States of America," she added.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump urges countries to join US in ending bioweapon development
US President Donald Trump cited the COVID-19 outbreak during his speech as he urged countries to end development of bioweapons.
"As we seek to reduce the threat of dangerous weapons — today, I'm also calling on every nation to join us in ending the development of biological weapons once and for all," he said.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump says UN 'creating new problems'
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: 'The UN is supposed to stop invasions, not create them' - Trump
The UN is supposed to stop invasions, not create them' - Trump
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump slams India for continued purchase of Russian oil, says 'even NATO countries...'
US President Donald Trump threatened to impose "a very strong round of powerful tariffs" against Russia if the war did not end soon. He also criticised India for its continued purchase of Russian oil and lambasted European nations for buying from Moscow. He also called for these countries to join the US in taking punitive measures against Russia in order to end the war.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump slams countries recognising Palestinian state
Trump insisted that he was working to end the war in Gaza and repeatedly called for the hostages to be released. He also insisted repeatedly that people "could not forget October 7" and lambasted countries that have recognised the Palestinian state in recent weeks.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump hails Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran
US President Donald Trump lauded the US strikes against nuclear sites in Iran --- insisting that they had been completely obliterated. He also hailed himself for ensuring an end to the '12 day war' between Israel and Iran.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump rails against UN, recalls being turned down for building project
"I had to end wars instead of United Nations. The UN wasn't there for us," he reiterated.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump reiterates claim of ending 'seven un-end-able wars'
US President Donald Trump reiterated his claims of singlehandedly ended seven "un-end-able" wars within months. He also took several swipes at the United Nations and questioned its "purpose".
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: 'We're the hottest country in the world' begins Trump
US President Donald Trump began his speech by lambasting the previous Joe Biden government for leading the country into an absolute "calamity". The POTUS insisted that he had reversed much of this 'damage' during his ongoing term.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Trump begins address, takes aim at ‘globalist institutions’
Trump has just started speaking.
According to the White House, he will deliver a wide-ranging address on his second-term foreign policy achievements He is also expected to decry the ways in which “globalist institutions have significantly decayed the world order”.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Lula says Brazil sent message with Bolsonaro conviction
“A few days ago…a former head of state was convicted of attacking the democratic rule of law. He was investigated, indicted, tried, and held accountable for his actions in a meticulous process. Brazil sent a message to all aspiring autocrats and those who support them, our democracy, our sovereignty are non-negotiable,” he said.
Trump has been a vocal champion of the former leader.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Why does Brazil speak first?
Brazil is traditionally the first state to deliver a speech at the General Debate --- a long-standing tradition since 1955. Many will be watching the remarks closely on Tuesday dur to the recent tensions between Lula and Trump.
Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports in response to the legal conviction of Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro. The Trump ally was convicted for attempting a coup but left the POTUS fuming. Lula views the recent tariffs as a politically motivated move and a threat to Brazilians sovereignty and democracy
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Brazil's Lula begins address
Brazil's Lula begins address
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Guterres calls aid cuts 'a death sentence' for many
Global aid cuts have severely affected UN efforts this year --- particularly due to the Trump government scrapping billions of dollars in aid.
Guterres noted during his address that aid cuts “are a death sentence for many. A stolen future for many more. This is the paradox of our time: We have the solutions… yet we are pulling siphoning away the fuel that would make it possible to progress.”
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Guterres reiterates call for permanent ceasefire in Gaza, release of hostages
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres referenced several global conflicts during his address --- beginning with the war in Sudan and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He also laid special emphasis on the Gaza war and reiterated calls for a permanent ceasefire.
“Nothing can justify the horrific Hamas terror attacks of October 7 and the taking of hostages, both of which I have repeatedly condemned. And nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people and the systematic destruction of Gaza,” he said.
“We know what is needed: Permanent ceasefire now. All the hostages released now. Full humanitarian access now. And we must not relent in the only viable answer to sustainable Middle East peace: a two-State solution,” he added.
UNGA 2025 LIVE Updates: Guterres hails 80 year legacy of UN
“Eighty years ago, in a world scorched by war, leaders made a choice, cooperation over chaos, law over lawlessness, peace over conflict, and that choice gave birth to the United Nations, not as a dream for perfection, but as a practical strategy for survival of humanity. Eighty years on, we confront again the question our founders faced, only more urgent more intertwined more unforgiving,” Guterres said.