Trump at UN: “You’re Destroying Your Countries”

• Trump told UN members that immigration was “destroying” European countries.
• He pressed NATO allies to cut energy ties with Russia and “step it up” on Ukraine.
• He dismissed climate change as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.”

US President Donald Trump delivered a fiery speech at the United Nations General Assembly, mixing attacks on immigration, climate science, and allied nations’ policies with pledges of US strength. His remarks drew sharp contrasts between his administration’s positions and those of many UN members.

Immigration: “Your Countries Are Going to Hell”

Trump said European nations were being overrun by migrants: “They’re being destroyed. Europe is in serious trouble … Your countries are going to hell.”

He claimed that under his administration border crossings into the United States had dropped to “zero” for four consecutive months due to mass deportations and detentions. Trump also pointed to expanded border wall construction, stricter asylum limits, and a program of large-scale removals as evidence that his approach worked, contrasting it with what he called Europe’s “open-door failures.”

Since January 2025, Trump has launched sweeping anti-migration policies through executive orders, proclamations, and new laws. His administration reinstated the “Remain in Mexico” program, suspended the CBP One asylum app, closed the southern border to many migrants, and halted refugee admissions. Deportations and interior enforcement have expanded under the Laken Riley Act, while asylum seekers now face higher fees and narrower eligibility. Legal immigration has also been reshaped: H-1B visas carry a $100,000 employer fee, a “Gold Card” residency track favors wealthy investors, and new travel bans restrict several nationalities. Together, these moves mark the most restrictive U.S. immigration overhaul in decades.

NATO and Russia

Turning to Ukraine, Trump criticized NATO members for continuing to buy Russian energy. “China and India are the primary funders … but inexcusably, even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy,” he said. He warned the US was ready to impose new tariffs on Russia and called on European nations to join. “Europe has to step it up. We have an ocean in between. You’re right there,” Trump added.

Trump tied his criticism to NATO’s defence spending targets, insisting that members who have not met the 2% of GDP requirement were relying too heavily on the U.S. He repeated his longstanding demand that Europe bear more of the alliance’s costs, saying allies must “finally pay their fair share” if they expect Washington’s protection.

He has since recast U.S. commitments to NATO under a tougher “America First” framework, making the 2% benchmark a non-negotiable minimum for full participation in the alliance’s mutual defence pact. U.S. troop deployments in Europe are now being reviewed with an eye to compliance, linking force levels directly to allied spending. At the same time, Washington is pressing NATO states to sever energy ties with Russia, warning that reliance on Russian gas undermines collective security. The administration is aggressively promoting U.S. LNG as the alternative and threatening tariffs or sanctions against European countries and firms that maintain contracts with Moscow — making energy independence a prerequisite for America’s security guarantees.

Climate Change as “Con Job”

Trump dismissed climate science as fraudulent: “The greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.”

He mocked shifting terms such as “global cooling,” “global warming,” and “climate change,” arguing that the rebranding showed it was not credible. Expanding on his record, Trump reminded delegates that he withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement and halted U.S. contributions to the UN Green Climate Fund, calling international climate deals unfair burdens on American taxpayers.

Trump: “If you don’t get away from this green scam, your country is going to fail.”

Since returning to office in 2025, the Trump administration has moved swiftly to dismantle U.S. participation in multilateral climate initiatives. Earlier this year, Trump formally withdrew from the Global Methane Pledge, a 2021 agreement under which more than 150 countries pledged to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030. His administration also rolled back U.S. involvement in the COP28 renewable transition commitments, arguing they unfairly disadvantaged American energy producers.

Domestically, Trump has reversed many of the Biden-era climate measures, suspending clean energy subsidies, halting federal investments in electric vehicle infrastructure, and expanding oil and gas drilling leases on public lands. Officials have justified these steps as a strategy to achieve “energy dominance” and protect U.S. jobs, while critics warn they risk deepening the climate crisis.