President Donald Trump made an impression in his Tuesday speech to the UN General Assembly. These speeches by heads of government and state, given the forum and attendance of world leaders and international figures, can be considered a statement of a nation’s foreign policy, much more so than campaign speeches, media interviews and tweets.
He continues to have a problem playing it straight. The most egregious of his inflammatory rhetoric was his reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as “Rocket Man.” On the subject of North Korea’s nuclear program and threats, Trump asserted America’s ability and willingness to “totally destroy” the country. Given that nearly everyone agrees that talks are the only way to deal with the North Korea problem, talks that would include China, Japan, Russia and South Korea as well as the United States and North Korea, it would have improved prospects for eventual success in such talks for Trump to have dealt with the subject seriously, instead of with a throwaway line. Total destruction of North Korea would also certainly mean total destruction of Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The Seoul metropolitan area has 26 million people.
The president’s “putting America first” affirmation was predictable. To the ears of many, it came across as unnecessary flag-waving, meat for an American audience rather than appropriate to the UN gathering.
His ultimate message for the United Nations was one of tough love.
Trump’s speech will be remembered for its blunt imagery and bellicose moments but is also being recognized for reinforcing many conventional ideals. “If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few,” he said, “then evil will triumph.” That’s not a cheery thought, but it’s a version of what underpins the Western alliance.