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On Tuesday, Donald Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly at its headquarters in New York City, criticizing the international governing body, immigration and the science of climate change, while boasting about his presidency and the military power of the United States. In what became the longest U.N. speech ever made by a U.S. president, Trump bragged about ending “seven unendable wars” and said countries that do not crack down on immigration “are going to hell.” “Trump was speaking to a far-right international around the world,” says Washington Post journalist Ishaan Tharoor, who has covered all of Trump’s U.N. speeches since his first term in office.

This year’s UNGA was also marked by the growing recognition of Palestinian statehood by member nations. Western countries including France and the U.K. broke with decades of precedent in doing so, making the U.S. the only member of the U.N. Security Council not to recognize a Palestinian state. Tharoor comments on the significance and limitations of these announcements, and on Trump’s relationship with Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, who opened the UNGA just before Trump spoke.

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: Speaking at the opening of the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday here in New York, President Trump blasted the United Nations, saying it’s, quote, “not even coming close to living up to its potential,” unquote. Meanwhile, Trump claimed he himself has ended seven wars.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: In a period of just seven months, I have ended seven unendable wars. They said they were unendable. I’m very honored to have done it. It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them. And sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them.

AMY GOODMAN: Trump also called climate change a “con job” and warned European nations of the, quote, “double-tailed monster” of migration and green energy.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: When your prisons are filled with so-called asylum seekers who repaid kindness — and that’s what they did: They repaid kindness with crime — it’s time to end the failed experiment of open borders. You have to end it now. Let’s see, I can tell you. I’m really good at this stuff. Your countries are going to hell.

AMY GOODMAN: Meanwhile, antiwar protesters gathered outside the United Nations, urging an end to Israel’s war on Gaza, coming as at least 10 countries recognized Palestinian statehood this week, bringing the number of countries at the United Nations who have recognized the country of Palestine to about 150.

For more, we’re joined by journalist Ishaan Tharoor. He is global affairs columnist at The Washington Post, where his latest columns are headlined “Trump vs. Lula was a window into MAGA at the U.N.” and “A Trump-shaped wrecking ball swings toward a faltering United Nations.”

Welcome back to Democracy Now!, Ishaan. It’s great to have you with us. Why don’t you comment, overall, on President Trump’s address yesterday?

ISHAAN THAROOR: Sure. Well, it’s a pleasure to be back with you, Amy.

I’ve covered every single one of Trump’s U.N. speeches, from his first term until now. And I think it’s fair to say, in his first term, he was a bit of an object of curiosity, his appearances on the U.N. You remember many moments of levity, of the audience laughing, or laughing at him, sometimes with him. And I think there was an overall overarching impression among the U.N. diplomatic corps that this is an aberration, perhaps; this is a particular interlude in American politics. And now with Trump’s return this year, it’s very clear that he represents a certain status quo, or an emerging status quo.

And in Trump’s speech, as you highlighted his — the two very coherent points he made was about the perils of migration and the mistake, in his mind, of green climate policies. And he’s speaking not just to his base, but to an emerging far-right base across the West. He warned about the death of Western Europe. And that’s a — this is all highly unusual rhetoric to have from the dais of the General Assembly, where you’re supposed to be, as the largest underwriter of the United Nations, as a prominent member state, talking about the ways in which, you know, global cooperation can solve major global challenges. But that is not something Trump cares about. And it became abundantly clear, especially as his speech went on and on and on and on, four times beyond the allotted time for him.

AMY GOODMAN: Over an hour. It’s generally about 15 minutes?

ISHAAN THAROOR: It’s generally........

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