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WATCH: Trump addresses 2026 United Nations General Assembly
PBS News ^ | Sep 22, 2026 | PBS/AP/President Trump

Posted on 09/22/2026 9:55:04 AM PDT by jacknhoo

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President Donald Trump returned to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday at a tumultuous moment for the world — and for his presidency — and made the case that he's shown fortitude while other leaders have equivocated.

Watch in our video player above.

The president started his address ticking off progress — including adding private sector jobs, stemming illegal migration and curbing crime before turning to a fulsome defense of his decision to start a war with Iran.

WATCH LIVE: Day 1 of the 2026 United Nations General Assembly

"The terrorist regime is behaving badly, not because they are strong and confident, but because they are weak and desperate," Trump said. "If we stand united, we will soon see a world free of the last 51 year menace of Iranian terror."

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Enter your email address Enter your email address Trump also accused Iran of stalling to make a deal to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and negotiate an endgame to the war until after the midterm elections in the United States. He insisted the tactic would have no effect on how he approaches the conflict.

"I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran," Trump said. "It doesn't even enter my mind."

Most of Iran's delegation walked out of the chamber as Trump railed against the Islamic Republic.

As he arrived at the U.N., Trump briefly spoke to reporters, telling them it was an honor to address the world body before his attention suddenly shifted to his resentments with the news media.

Trump over the weekend announced a White House ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico, claiming that their coverage of his presidency was biased. The news outlets have filed a lawsuit to restore their access to White House grounds. Trump snapped at a CNN reporter in the U.N. scrum.

WATCH: Press pool declines to cover Trump in protest of his ban on news outlets

"I'm surprised that CNN is here covering me," Trump said. "You shouldn't be here."

After his speech to the annual gathering of world leaders, Trump is expected to hold talks with new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and a more informal meeting with Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez, according to the White House.

READ MORE: Britain's Burnham to meet Trump and make UN debut after offering UK military support for Saudis

He's also set to meet with leaders and senior officials from Gulf Cooperation Council nations — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates — to discuss the way ahead with the war in Iran and growing concern about recent Iran-backed rebel attacks on Saudi Arabia. Trump also plans to take part in an event on the Shield of Americas, an initiative Trump launched with Latin American countries earlier this year focused on combatting violent cartels.

The visit to the U.N. comes when Trump's foreign policy approach — particularly his decision to start a war with Iran — has become a drag on his fellow Republicans' hopes of retaining control of both chambers of Congress during the coming midterm elections. Nevertheless, Trump is making the case in his address that the world is better off for his leadership.

"As president of the most extraordinary nation in history," Trump said. "I have no interest in leaving dangers to grow for another day. I do not believe in letting problems fester."

Iran war looms large In last year's address at the U.N., Trump claimed the U.S. had "demolished" Iran's nuclear capabilities after he ordered the June 2025 bombardment of three key facilities.

He returned to the General Assembly nearing the seven-month mark of a new war against Iran that he insists is necessary to address a nuclear threat posed by Iran.

The war has grown more complicated even though strikes by the United States and Israel have killed much of Iran's top leadership and destroyed its air force and navy, while a U.S. blockade of Iranian oil has left Tehran in economic shambles.

The energy market continues to be spooked by the war and oil prices remain elevated. Saudi Arabia earlier this month shuttered a key pipeline that acted as a relief valve for oil blocked in the Gulf. The kingdom made the move after the pipeline came under attack by Iran-backed militants in Iraq.

At the same time, territorial grabs by the Yemen-based Houthi rebels, another Iranian-backed group, near the Bab al-Mandab Strait has now made it treacherous for oil carriers to use that Red Sea shipping lane.

But Trump insisted anew that the elevated oil prices are a transitory problem that will fade one the war ends.

"Oil prices will come plummeting down even lower than they were at the start of the conflict," Trump said. "And they were very low in the United States. They were really low."

Majed al-Ansari, chief spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, said Monday that Qatar and other mediators are trying to penetrate a "deep deficit of trust" between the U.S. and Iran and get the sides back to negotiations.

"Either we sign a deal now or sign a deal 10 months away," said al-Ansari, speaking at the Concordia Annual Summit, a global affairs forum taking place during the U.N.'s high-level week. "The only difference is the number of dead and destruction that we see."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Trump is open to meeting with Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, while he's in New York for the General Assembly.

"This is a president that will meet with anybody for the most part, because he believes that engaging with people is important if you're going to solve problems," Rubio said on NBC's "Today" show. "It doesn't mean you're going to end up agreeing with them, but it's important."

The administration will sign a Greenland deal At last year's General Assembly, Trump touted his record as a peacemaker and claimed that "everyone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize" for his administration's efforts mediating several conflicts around the globe.

This year, Trump is set to sign an agreement on the sidelines of the General Assembly with Danish and Greenlandic leaders that aims to set the pathway for the expansion of the U.S. military's footprint on Greenland.

The deal, announced last week, came together after Trump repeatedly threatened to "take over" Greenland, a territory of NATO-ally Denmark, by military force if necessary. Trump said Tuesday the U.S. will immediately begin the process of developing a larger military presence in Greenland including "building two very major military bases."

Under the deal, Greenland remains Denmark's territory.

Trump's frustration with Russia-Ukraine war mounts The president could also touch on Russia's continuing war against Ukraine during the address — a conflict that during his 2024 campaign he predicted would be resolved on Day One of his second term.

The president has routinely expressed frustration about the conflict. He hasn't obscured that his patience is being tested by Ukraine's targeting of Russia's diesel refineries — an issue that's added to oil markets' volatility — and Russia's targeting of Ukraine's energy grid.

Trump last week asserted that he got the two sides to agree to not target each other's energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy, who is scheduled to meet with Trump on Tuesday afternoon, said he was willing to go along with Trump's plan if Russia abided by it. Russia said it could only go along with Trump's energy truce proposal if Western energy sanctions on Moscow were lifted first.

The two sides have continued carrying out strikes on refineries and other energy infrastructure.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: pbs; publicbullsheiss; unitednations; world
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Full video and highlighting videos at link.
1 posted on 09/22/2026 9:55:04 AM PDT by jacknhoo
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To: jacknhoo

Are the Germans going to smirk again when he warns them about Russia?


2 posted on 09/22/2026 9:56:05 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: jacknhoo

Are the Germans going to smirk again when he warns them about Russia?


3 posted on 09/22/2026 9:56:07 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: jacknhoo

Are the Germans going to smirk again when he warns them about Russia?


4 posted on 09/22/2026 9:56:07 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: jacknhoo

Are the Germans going to smirk again when he warns them about Russia?


5 posted on 09/22/2026 9:56:07 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: jacknhoo

A great speech that outlined the remarkable accomplishments of the Trump administration in less than 2 years. What a difference things would be in the world if Kamala had won the 7 swing States!


6 posted on 09/22/2026 10:08:48 AM PDT by Kahuna
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To: BenLurkin

This year, Trump is set to sign an agreement on the sidelines of the General Assembly with Danish and Greenlandic leaders....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s a done deal. Here is PDJT is signing it right after the general assembly speech.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLewyazKhBk

Overall, it was very good speech.. quite measured. He didn’t even mention Canada once!


7 posted on 09/22/2026 10:19:19 AM PDT by hecticskeptic
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To: jacknhoo

Everyone is still reporting on Trump

The White House kerfuffle is a big nothing


8 posted on 09/22/2026 10:19:32 AM PDT by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
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To: Vendome

The media is a big nothing. Times...they are a changin’...at last.


9 posted on 09/22/2026 10:25:42 AM PDT by Frank Drebin (And don't ever let me catch you guys in America!)
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To: jacknhoo

Applause from the UN when he said that he will not let Iran get nuclear weapons.


10 posted on 09/22/2026 10:30:20 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: jacknhoo

“If we stand united, we will soon see a world free of the last 51 year menace of Iranian terror.”

That would be 1975. The Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in 1979. I asked Chat and it came up with this for Iranian terrorism:

“One notable terrorist attack in Iran in 1975 was the assassination of two U.S. military officers, Paul R. Shaffer and John H. Turner, in Tehran on May 21, 1975. The attack was attributed to Iranian militant groups opposed to the Shah’s regime, including members of the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (MEK).”

More broadly on Muslim terrorism:
“On December 21, 1975, six militants attacked an OPEC ministers’ meeting, killed three people, and took more than 60 hostages. The group included members associated with Palestinian militant organizations, and the operation was led by the terrorist known as Carlos the Jackal.”


11 posted on 09/22/2026 10:50:17 AM PDT by ChessExpert (Infidels of the world unite against the evil that is Islam.)
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To: hecticskeptic

What’s a Canada?


12 posted on 09/22/2026 11:12:22 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

They’re not even a real country, anyway.


13 posted on 09/22/2026 11:14:48 AM PDT by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
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To: jacknhoo
These appear to be President Trump's prepared remarks and not a transcript of what he actually said.

I don't believe that his statement regarding Venezuela, that to the victor belong the spoils, will be a good precedent for the United States or the world in the long run.

14 posted on 09/22/2026 11:22:50 AM PDT by Ronaldus Magnus
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To: dfwgator; BenLurkin

What’s a Canada?
They’re not even a real country, anyway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, if nothing else they have proved to be a fairly good object of a trolling activity...


15 posted on 09/22/2026 11:30:48 AM PDT by hecticskeptic
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To: hecticskeptic

it just north of us- a can a’ duhhh


16 posted on 09/22/2026 11:35:19 AM PDT by Mr. K (No consequence of repealing Obamacare is worse than Obamacare itself.)
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To: jacknhoo

I just had to check,,,,,of course, CNN did not show it.


17 posted on 09/22/2026 11:51:05 AM PDT by volare737 ( Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated.)
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To: jacknhoo

bump


18 posted on 09/22/2026 2:39:09 PM PDT by Albion Wilde (The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens. --DJT)
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To: Frank Drebin

They always present whatever goes on as negative or with some idiotic and contrived qualifier.

I see this everyday and read the BS the make up

This is my opening page before I get to actual news: https://www.msn.com/en-us?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LCTS&cvid=6ab2fbff881b4746b8a72611088a78b3&ei=16

First thing is Trump’s crazed speech at UN: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/trump-s-crazed-un-speech-met-with-silence-and-walkouts/ar-AA2cLqJD?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LCTS&cvid=6ab2fbff881b4746b8a72611088a78b3&cvpid=6ab2fc5355d84b8faaa5e3e2f0c8ccd5&ei=22

Or the moronic and craptastic:
“Trump’s slow Marine One exit fueled health speculation. The footage alone settles nothing”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/public-safety-and-emergencies/health-and-safety-alerts/trump-s-slow-marine-one-exit-fueled-health-speculation-the-footage-alone-settles-nothing/ar-AA2cCuUR

I watched the footage over and over and couldn’t ascertain where they saw this revelation.

Fake Azz news....


19 posted on 09/22/2026 3:12:34 PM PDT by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
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To: BenLurkin

IDK

IDK

IDK

IDK


20 posted on 09/22/2026 4:23:05 PM PDT by Az Joe ("Democrats have never met a regulation they didn't like.")
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