At the 2025 United Nations General Assembly, President Donald Trump once again showcased his signature diplomatic duality: a fiery, confrontational speech in public followed by surprisingly conciliatory private meetings with global leaders. This stark contrast left diplomats both wary and strategically accommodating—a calculated dance shaped by years of navigating Trump’s unpredictable style.
The Public Performance: Scolding the World Stage
In his Tuesday address, Trump delivered a blistering critique of the U.N. and its member states. “You’re destroying your countries,” he declared. “Your countries are going to hell.” He dismissed the organization as “useless” and touted bilateral deals as superior to multilateral diplomacy .
The Private Pivot: “I’m 100% Behind the U.N.”
Minutes after his speech, Trump met with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres—and struck a dramatically different tone. “Our country is behind the United Nations 100 percent,” he said, calling its potential “incredible, really incredible” .
This Jekyll-and-Hyde approach isn’t new. As former Vice President Kamala Harris wrote in her recent memoir, “I’d readied myself for a phone conversation with Mr. Hyde, but Dr. Jekyll had picked up the call” .
How World Leaders Responded
Foreign officials have adapted with a unified strategy: avoid confrontation, offer praise, and seek one-on-one access. The result? A line of leaders eager to meet Trump privately—even after being publicly insulted.
| Leader | Public Reaction | Private Response |
|---|---|---|
| Ursula von der Leyen (EU) | Silent during speech | “Trump is absolutely right. We’re on it.” |
| Emmanuel Macron (France) | Defended U.N. without naming Trump | Focused on U.S.-France cooperation in peace efforts |
| Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil) | Criticized in Trump’s speech | “We had excellent chemistry… for about 39 seconds.” |
Strategic Wins Behind Closed Doors
Despite the rhetoric, real diplomatic progress emerged:
- Shift on Ukraine: After months of urging Kyiv to cede territory, Trump now says Ukraine “can win the war” with NATO support.
- Re-engagement on Peace Talks: Trump praised his own “cease-fire diplomacy” across multiple conflict zones.
- Continued U.N. Funding Cuts: The administration plans to slash another $1 billion from U.N. contributions, on top of $1 billion already withdrawn .
Performance or policy? Experts say it’s both.
Why This Matters to North Americans
For U.S. and Canadian readers, Trump’s U.N. behavior reflects broader trends in American foreign policy:
- Unpredictability as leverage: Allies must constantly recalibrate expectations.
- Bilateral over multilateral: U.S. disengagement weakens institutions like the WHO and IPCC.
- Domestic messaging: The U.N. speech plays to Trump’s base more than global audiences.
Understanding this duality is key to anticipating U.S. moves on climate, security, and trade in 2026.
For more on U.S. foreign policy shifts, see our analysis on [INTERNAL_LINK:trump-diplomacy-2025].
For official U.N. proceedings and transcripts, visit the United Nations website.
Sources
- https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/us/politics/trump-united-nations-tones.html
- https://www.un.org/en/
- https://www.crisisgroup.org/united-nations
- https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/
- https://www.brookings.edu/topics/donald-trump/
