US President Donald Trump has addressed the UN General Assembly, stressing that he rejects globalism and socialism while taking aim at illegal immigration and the "corrupt dictatorship" of Iran which sows "death and destruction."
READ MORE: World leaders laugh as Trump boasts of accomplishments during UN speech (VIDEO)
25 September 2018
Trump says that people around the world watching him speak have the same "heart of a patriot" for their own individual nations. He says that this patriotism has inspired scientific breakthroughs and great art. "Our task is not to erase it, but to embrace it," he says.
Trump spoke of Saudi Arabia, crediting the government for pursuing "bold new reforms."
He also spoke of good things taking place in other countries in the world, including India, Poland, and Israel.
America believes in the "majesty of freedom" and the "dignity of the individual," as well as "self government and the rule of law."
Trump once again said he expects other countries to pay their fair share for the cost of their defense.
"We must pursue peace without fear, hope without despair, and security without apology," Trump said.
Washington is the world's "largest giver" of foreign aid but "few give anything to us," he said, stating that this is the reason the government is looking deeper into US foreign assistance.
Trump said that moving forward, the US is only going to give foreign aid to those who respect Washington and "are our friends."
All nations of the world should "resist socialism and the misery it brings to everyone," Trump said, while calling for the restoration of "democracy" in Venezuela.
Illegal immigration "funds criminal networks, ruthless gangs, and the flow of deadly drugs," Trump said, adding that it has produced a cycle of crime, violence, and poverty.
He stressed that only by upholding national borders and destroying criminal gangs can the cycle be broken.
America is "governed by Americans" and rejects "the ideology of globalism," Trump stressed.
The US lost nearly three million manufacturing jobs, nearly one-quarter of all steel jobs, and 60,000 factories after China joined the World Trade Organization, Trump said, while stressing that "those days are over."
"China's market distortions and the way they deal cannot be tolerated," Trump said, adding that the US will "always act in our national interest."
Trump spoke about the US embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, stating that Washington remains committed to peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
The US has launched a campaign of "economic pressure" to deny Iran the funds it needs to advance its "bloody agenda," Trump said.
"We cannot allow the world's leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planet's most dangerous weapons," Trump said, referring to Iran.
He asked all countries to isolate Iran as long as its "aggression" continues.
Iran's neighbors have "paid a heavy toll" for its agenda of "aggression and expansion," Trump said, adding that this is why many countries in the region supported Washington's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.
Trump referred to Iran as a "corrupt dictatorship," claiming that its leaders sow "chaos, death, and destruction."
Trump credited the US military and its partnership with other nations with driving out Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) from territories they once held in Iraq and Syria. The US president referred to IS as "blood-thirsty killers."
The United States will respond if chemical weapons are deployed by the "regime" of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Trump said.
"We have engaged with North Korea to replace the spectre of conflict with a bold and new push for peace," Trump said, recalling his June meeting in Singapore with Kim Jong-un.
Trump went on to hail the benefits of his meeting with Kim, noting that "missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction, nuclear testing has stopped, some military facilities are already being dismantled, our hostages have been released and...the remains of our fallen heroes" are being returned.
Trump thanked Kim for his "courage" and the "steps he has taken," though much work remains to be done.
"America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control, and domination," Trump said, claiming that the US will not tell others how to live, work, or worship, while only asking that those countries honor America's sovereignty in return.
US President Donald Trump has arrived to address the 73rd General Assembly.
As he walked into the UN Headquarters, Trump told reporters he looks forward to having a great relationship with Iran, but stressed that it "won't happen now," and that he will not meet with the Iranians until they "change their tune."