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

Updated at 11:15 a.m. ET

At the U.N. General Assembly 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.

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 a part of a 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 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 Zelensky 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 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.