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Trump To U.N. General Assembly: 'The Future Does Not Belong To Globalists'

President Trump addresses the U.N. General Assembly at United Nations headquarters on Tuesday in New York City.
Drew Angerer
/
Getty Images
President Trump addresses the U.N. General Assembly at United Nations headquarters on Tuesday in New York City.

Updated at 12:30 p.m. ET

At the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, President Trump told world leaders to reject "globalism" and to look out for the interests of their own countries first.

"The future does not belong to globalists; it belongs to patriots," Trump said.

Tuesday marked Trump's third address to the General Assembly as president. As he has done in the past, Trump used his remarks to the international organization to make the case for his "America first" style of diplomacy that puts nationalism ahead of multilateral efforts.

Since entering the White House, Trump has pulled the U.S. out of several international agreements, including the Paris climate accords and the Iran nuclear deal.

He's also called out allies in NATO over military spending, a point he made again at the United Nations.

"We are also revitalizing our alliances by making it very clear that all of our partners are expected to pay their fair share of the tremendous defense burden, which the United States has borne in the past," Trump said.

Trump's remarks also included sharp warnings for China and Iran.

He lamented China's membership in the World Trade Organization, accusing Beijing of gaming the system.

"As far as America is concerned, those days are over," Trump said.

The Trump administration has imposed tariffs on Chinese imports as part of an escalating trade dispute with China.

"Hopefully, we can reach a deal that would be beneficial for both countries, but as I have made very clear, I will not accept a bad deal for the American people," he said.

Trump said the U.S. is currently monitoring Beijing's response to protests in Hong Kong and expects China to honor Hong Kong's democratic system.

While Trump has tangled with China on trade, the U.S. is also confronting rising tensions with Iran.

Trump called Iran "one of the greatest security threats" to peace-loving nations.

The U.S. issued a new round of sanctions against Iran on Friday after blaming Iran for an attack on a Saudi oil facility.

"As long as Iran's menacing behavior continues, sanctions will not be lifted, they will be tightened," Trump said.

Trump's address also touched on immigration. The administration has faced protests over its treatment of migrants at the southern border. Trump attempted to discourage migrants who may be thinking of making the trip to the U.S. without appropriate documents.

"Do not pay the coyotes. Do not put yourself in danger. Do not put your children in danger, because if you make it here, you will not be allowed in," he said.

Trump delivered his speech amid growing calls from Democrats for his impeachment over his reported interactions with the Ukrainian government.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden during a July phone call. And multiple outlets have reported that a whistleblower complaint involves Trump's communications with Ukraine.

NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez contributed to this report.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Ayesha Rascoe is a White House correspondent for NPR. She is currently covering her third presidential administration. Rascoe's White House coverage has included a number of high profile foreign trips, including President Trump's 2019 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam, and President Obama's final NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland in 2016. As a part of the White House team, she's also a regular on the NPR Politics Podcast.
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