What are the highlights and keypoints from U.S. President Donald Trump, UNGA 2026 Speech?

President Donald Trump delivered a roughly 37-minute address at the 81st UN General Assembly on September 22, 2026, framing America as stronger than ever, issuing a stark deal-or-annihilation ultimatum to Iran, celebrating the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, signing a new Arctic security agreement with Greenland and Denmark, and pushing back hard against international bodies he sees as overreaching.

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Here are the highlights and excerpts from Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, speaking at the General Debate of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly, New York, September 22, 2026.

Highlights

America is back, stronger than ever. Trump opened with a declaration of renewed American strength and resolve, telling the assembly: "Two and a half centuries after the cause of liberty found its home on this continent, I can report to you with pride that America is back, and our country is stronger today than ever before." He made the case that the world is better off for his leadership, saying "As President of the most extraordinary nation in history, I have no interest in leaving dangers to grow for another day. I do not believe in letting problems fester; they only become harder to solve."

Iran: deal or annihilation. The speech's central drama was Trump's ultimatum to Iran. He defended his decision to launch a war against Iran, accusing the Islamic Republic of seeking to erect a defensive missile arsenal before making a "mad dash to a nuclear bomb," and said he is poised to make a "big decision" on whether to make a deal or quickly "annihilate" the country. He dismissed Iran's resilience, saying "The terrorist regime is behaving badly, not because they are strong and confident, but because they are weak and desperate." Most of Iran's delegation walked out of the chamber as Trump railed against the Islamic Republic. Yet he also signaled an opening: in his speech, the president said "the United States and Iran will definitely get it done — we will get it done, one way or the other." He predicted a deal would come right after the midterm elections, noting that Iran is "waiting to see how I do on the midterm election" and adding, "What they don't realize is that I'm not running."

Greenland: a new Arctic security deal signed. Trump announced and celebrated a landmark agreement with Denmark and Greenland. He touted the military deal, saying it gives the U.S. "the complete ability to do what is necessary to defend the American continent, and also Europe and other places." In his own words: "We will have the complete ability to do what is necessary to defend the American Continent. No U.S. adversary will EVER be permitted to establish a military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments there, without our express approval. By expanding America's footprint in the Arctic and North Atlantic, this deal also protects Europe in addition to America. It greatly enhances NATO — which is now growing stronger than ever before." Under the deal, the United States can expand its existing Pituffik Space Base as well as establish two new bases, Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig.

Venezuela: to the victor belong the spoils. Trump celebrated the year's U.S. military operation to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power. He celebrated a looming oil deal with Venezuela, which critics noted discredited past U.S. claims that material gain was not a rationale for foreign interventions. He told the assembly: "To the victor belong the spoils, you've all heard that."

Cuba: communism will not stand. Trump called Cuba an "absolutely failed state" and accused it of "coordinating with left-wing radicals and Communist networks" in the U.S., declaring: "Communism will never be coming to America, but freedom will be coming to Cuba." He said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in negotiations with the island nation. As he spoke, the Cuban delegation stood up and left the hall.

AI: grow it, don't govern it. Trump brushed off concerns that rapid advances in artificial intelligence could endanger humanity, saying the U.S. "totally rejects any attempt to construct a globalist scheme to control artificial intelligence." AI, as a term, refers to computer systems that can perform tasks that normally require human thinking, like analyzing language, writing code, or identifying patterns. Trump's position: let it run.

Tearing down international institutions. Trump described the International Criminal Court (the ICC, a Hague-based court that tries individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity) as an institution "full of evil people" with no jurisdiction over the United States, and called on nations to withdraw from it. He was similarly critical of the UN Human Rights Council, accusing it of focusing excessively on the U.S. while overlooking abuses elsewhere, and criticized UNESCO and the International Maritime Organization, arguing that international bodies should not advance what he characterized as global governance initiatives.

In his own words

On Iran's nuclear ambitions: "There is no better example of a danger that was allowed to gather strength at the world's peril than the number one sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran. From the first day I entered the political arena, I have been unwavering — I will NEVER allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon."

On munitions and military strength: "The cowards and traitors would love to say the United States is low on munitions, but that's not true. We have more munitions than we could ever possibly even think of using, and we're building them at levels that we have never done before."

On the Western Hemisphere: "Our actions in Venezuela are proof that the United States will no longer permit threats to America to gain a foothold anywhere in the Western Hemisphere."

On cartels: He hailed deadly U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats, calling cartels "the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere."

On Iran's deal prospects: "But I believe we'll make a deal, right after the election. Because it doesn't make sense for them not to. They're waiting to see how I do on the midterm election. What they don't realize is that I'm not running."

Worth knowing

The high-level session opened as the U.S.-Iran war is causing oil prices to surge worldwide, Ukraine is trying to hold off a Russian invasion, and Palestinians are facing the repercussions of Israel's war with Hamas. 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. On Ukraine, Trump said he thinks Ukraine and Russia will make a deal but did not give specifics, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky separately said he is ready for a trilateral meeting with Russia and the U.S. Other highlights included condemnation of the Russia-Ukraine war, praise for his administration's successful blocking of a UN-proposed global carbon shipping fee, and a push for further artificial intelligence advancements.