What did President Donald Trump say at the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81)?

He addressed the general debate on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as the second speaker of the morning session.

The speech in brief

• Iran. He said he “will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon” and that strikes had “obliterated their nuclear programme beneath mountains of rubble”. The choice now, he said, is a deal or annihilation.
• Peace record. He said he had ended eight conflicts.
• Venezuela. He defended the operation that led to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, and said the US would, if necessary, use its “unmatched military might” to protect its vital interests.
• The ICC. He called the International Criminal Court “full of evil people”.
• The UN. It has “great potential”, he said, but he accused it of pushing “the far-left agenda of globalist bureaucrats”.
• AI. He said it should be called “superintelligence” instead.

In his own words

Do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?

“I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran…or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic?”

“I will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

“While others have promised strength, I have used it to make America the most powerful country in the world.”

“The use of the word artificial makes intelligence fake. It is not fake. It’s actually amazing.”

In the hall

• Cuba’s delegation walked out during his remarks on Cuba.
• Hours later, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, from the same podium, said “some boast of a supposed peace” that has not reopened aid to Gaza, a line read as a reply to Trump.

Watch and read the full speech

Video of the address:

The UN posts the statement on its general debate website.

Every Day 1 speaker, in order: What happened on Day 1 of UNGA 81.