Trump Promotes ‘America First’ Foreign Policy at UN General Assembly

United States President Donald J. Trump used his address to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 22 to defend his administration’s foreign-policy record and promote an “America First” approach.

Trump told world leaders that the United States had become stronger under his leadership. His administration said it would continue confronting threats to the country while opposing international arrangements it considers harmful to US sovereignty.

A White House release issued on September 23 outlined what it described as major achievements in foreign policy, defence and economic policy. The claims covered US relations with international institutions, Iran, Greenland, Venezuela, Gaza, NATO and countries across the Western Hemisphere.

Disengagement from international institutions

The administration highlighted US withdrawals from dozens of international organisations and arrangements that it said no longer served American interests. Those cited included the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Global Forum on Migration and Development.

The White House also defended the decision to withdraw from and withhold funding for the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. It claimed that the changes had reduced US expenditure connected to the UN system by more than $1 billion.

Supporters of continued US participation in multilateral institutions have argued that withdrawing can limit Washington’s ability to influence those bodies. The administration’s position remains part of wider debate over America’s role in international organisations.

Greenland and Western Hemisphere policy

The administration also announced a strategic agreement involving the United States, Denmark and Greenland. It said the arrangement would advance American security interests and military access in Greenland.

Danish officials stressed that the agreement was still subject to parliamentary approval and would not transfer Danish sovereignty over Greenland. The source material does not provide further details about the agreement’s terms or status.

In the Western Hemisphere, the White House said US policies had strengthened American influence and increased pressure on drug-trafficking organisations. The administration highlighted the designation of cartels as “Foreign Terrorist Organisations” and military operations against vessels suspected of trafficking fentanyl and other narcotics.

It also promoted the “Shield of the Americas” as an economic and national security alliance. The White House said Washington was targeting Cuban government-linked networks operating in the United States and increasing pressure on Mexican cartels.

The administration further claimed that the United States had strengthened relations with Venezuela’s current leadership following Nicolás Maduro’s capture and secured substantial US interests in the country’s oil reserves. The source does not provide details of the alleged capture or the value of those interests.

The White House also credited Trump with pressuring Panama to withdraw from China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Iran, Gaza and NATO

Trump maintained that his administration would not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon while defending US military action involving the country. His position remains controversial, with critics questioning the consequences of the campaign and the administration arguing that its actions were necessary to confront the Iranian nuclear threat.

On Gaza, the White House said Trump had helped end several conflicts and secure the release of remaining hostages. It also said the United Nations Security Council had backed elements of a Gaza peace initiative built around a 20-point plan and a proposed Board of Peace involving dozens of countries.

The source does not identify the conflicts referred to by the White House, specify the number of hostages released or name the countries proposed for the Board of Peace.

The administration said Trump had pushed NATO members towards significantly higher defence spending and secured major allied investments in the US defence industry. It also highlighted measures against the Houthis and specified branches of the Muslim Brotherhood designated as “Foreign Terrorist Organisations”.

Domestic industrial capacity

The White House said the administration was rebuilding the US defence industrial base, expanding domestic shipbuilding and encouraging critical manufacturing industries to move production to the United States. It also attributed announced investments worth trillions of dollars to its economic and industrial policies.

The claims presented at the UN and in the subsequent White House statement form part of an ongoing international debate over Trump’s approach to traditional alliances, military power and reduced US participation in some multilateral institutions.