President Donald Trump’s address to the UN General Assembly today, pre-taped as are all speeches, had the theme, in his words, of “peace through strength.” In his short presentation, he gave particulars of what he praised as U.S. peace achievements, and of U.S. incomparable economic and military might. Referring to past “blood in the sand,” he said that, “hopefully, these days are over.” His additional theme was to hold China accountable for the “China virus” and for other infractions which he listed.
Trump closed by reiterating his theme from his last address to the UN, that his responsibility is to take care of America first, and that “you should be putting your countries first” as well.
Trump began his address by referencing that the UN was founded 75 years ago at the end of World War II, and that “we are once again engaged in a great global struggle,” fighting the “China virus.” He then recounted the U.S. response to COVID-19, which he called the “most aggressive mobilization since the Second World War.” He reported on U.S. successes in treatments, which have reduced mortality by 85% since April, and in vaccine development.
“As we pursue this bright future, we must hold accountable the nation which unleashed this plague onto the world: China,” he said. Trump then gave his list of wrongdoings on COVID-19 by China, and also the World Health Organization, and concluded that, “The United Nations must hold China accountable for their actions.”
He proceeded, “In addition, every year China dumps millions and millions of tons of plastic and trash into the oceans, overfishes other countries’ waters, destroys vast swaths of coral reef, and emits more toxic mercury into the atmosphere than any country anywhere in the world. China’s carbon emissions are nearly twice what the U.S. has, and it’s rising fast.”
Further, on the matter of emissions, Trump said that the U.S., though leaving the Paris Accord, led the world last year in reducing emissions. He chastised, “Those who attack America’s exceptional environmental record while ignoring China’s rampant pollution are not interested in the environment.”
