U.N. Assembly becomes forum for Trump criticism

“Democracy and sovereignty cannot be compromised or surrendered,” said Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

“I do not want a world governed by the logic of ‘might makes right,’” said French President Emmanuel Macron.

At the 80th United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23 in New York, the leaders of Brazil, France, Türkiye, Peru, and Indonesia united in criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump. They condemned Trump’s “America First” policies, pro-Israel stance, and attempts to interfere in other nations’ domestic affairs, turning the assembly into what many described as a "forum of censure against Trump."

Trump, in his address, praised himself for having “ended seven wars.” In contrast, the attending leaders argued that Trump exacerbated global conflicts. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto repeatedly returned to the podium to emphasize peace for Palestine. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted the devastation in Gaza caused by Israeli airstrikes, displaying photographs to criticize Trump. Macron countered Trump’s assertions of U.N. irrelevance by praising the organization’s purpose and history.

Speaking immediately before Trump, President Lula delivered a pointed critique. Lula, who defeated far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, dubbed “South America’s Trump,” in Brazil’s October 2023 election, did not hold back.

Brazilian courts recently sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for election obstruction and plotting a coup. Trump labeled the trial a “witch hunt” and pressured Brazil to release Bolsonaro. He also objected to Brazil’s large-scale soybean imports from China, imposing punitive tariffs of up to 50%.

“We cannot justify unilateral and arbitrary measures against the Brazilian government and economy,” Lula said, directly targeting Trump. “We have told would-be dictators and their supporters worldwide that democracy and sovereignty cannot be compromised or surrendered.” Peruvian President Dina Boluarte echoed Lula, saying, “Interfering in other countries’ domestic affairs to undermine democracy is a serious threat.”

Islamic leaders strongly criticized Trump’s pro-Israel policies. Erdoğan said, “In Gaza, innocent civilians and children are facing a military force equipped with deadly weapons.” Prabowo stated, “Indonesia will recognize Israel only when it recognizes Palestine as a state.” As the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, Indonesia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Prabowo added, “Indonesia is ready to deploy 20,000 peacekeepers to Gaza,” concluding his speech with the Hebrew word for peace, “Shalom.”

Macron pressed the U.S. to take the lead in ending the Israel-Hamas conflict in a potential second Trump term. Trump expressed displeasure over France and the U.K. recently recognizing Palestine as a state, calling it “a gift to Hamas.”

Macron reminded the assembly that no one had forgotten Hamas’s preemptive attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which also killed French citizens, but stressed that the conflict should not continue. He criticized Israel’s insistence on dismantling Hamas as a justification for war, calling it ineffective.

In an interview with French outlet BFM TV, Macron said, “At this point, the only person who can act is the U.S. president,” urging a second Trump administration to halt arms supplies to Israel. His remarks implicitly criticized Trump, who claims credit for resolving global conflicts and aspires to a Nobel Peace Prize, yet appears unable to mediate the Gaza crisis effectively.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the world currently faces “a tangle of peace and war, law and lawlessness, cooperation and conflict.” Analysts said his comments indirectly criticized not only Israel and Russia, which continue fighting despite ceasefire pressures, but also the United States.


Seong-Mo Kim mo@donga.com