When President Donald Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly during his first term, he railed against globalism, drawing derisive laughter that momentarily derailed his remarks.
No one’s laughing now.
Many world leaders have bent over backward to flatter and appease Trump since he returned to office this year. But their outward deference masks a deep and growing concern about Trump 2.0. And for as much as the president has relished the flattery, he remains focused on imposing his will on the world, using leverage and threats to pressure and punish other countries.
No less than seven foreign leaders have nominated or endorsed Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, and several more have come to the White House ready to engage on the president’s terms. One flew to Florida for a round of golf. Another called him “daddy.”
The shift in tone underscores how, despite the MAGA movement being so animated by isolationism, the United States has become more indispensable to its traditional allies than at any point in the recent past. And because the Trump administration has eschewed the conventional policy process, neutering the National Security Council and leaving dozens of ambassadorships unfilled, many countries are left guessing when they face some of their toughest security challenges.
“None of this is amusing any more,” said one senior European official granted anonymity to speak candidly. “Nor do the other leaders still believe they can manage Trump. They’re still trying, but he’s showing an unpredictability this time that no amount of compliments and gifts is going to change.”
The Donald Trump stepping back onto the U.N.’s marbled green podium on Tuesday morning is a different leader in his second term than he was during his first: still skeptical of multilateral organizations and values-based alliances but much more sure of himself on the world stage, interested in peacemaking as well as power and provocation.
His remarks, according to two people familiar with the plans and granted anonymity to discuss them, are meant to deliver a strong but serious articulation of his philosophy for dealing with a complex world.
“It’s going to provide some clarity, and it’s going to leave a mark,” one of the people said.
Administration officials declined to preview the specifics, but said the speech would outline Trump’s world view, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the speech would emphasize “American strength.” The president has often used forums like this to denounce the Biden administration and tout his role in negotiating for peace.
Trump’s strategy to announce big deals first and seek details later has found more success where his team has taken over dormant or stagnant diplomatic processes already underway — such as with Armenia and Azerbaijan and the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
But it has come up short in the two major conflicts he pledged to solve immediately once in office, the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war.
That doesn’t seem to bother Trump much, and he has relished opportunities to promote himself as a peacemaker. He often gloats about the “seven wars” he has stopped, and the many “good friends” he has around the world, even in countries he is punishing with unprecedentedly high tariffs.
“This is a man who seeks a Nobel [Peace] Prize for the various efforts that he has undertaken, and I would expect him, maybe not necessarily, to lobby directly in front of the U.N. General Assembly for that recognition, but I think to reinforce the brand that I think he has evolved into, which is that of a peacemaker in certain theaters,” said Jonathan Schanzer, the executive director of the Federation for Defense of Democracies, a non-partisan Washington think tank.
Despite his improved personal relationships with several leaders, especially in Europe, Trump’s more unrestrained and ambitious agenda has frayed ties with several long-time allies, most of all India, which he’s hit with high tariffs.
His bellicosity — an expressed desire to conquer new territory, from Greenland to the Panama Canal, and a clear willingness to unleash military force, be it by bombing nuclear development sites in Iran or shooting suspected Venezuelan drug boats out of the water — has rattled allies and adversaries alike.
“Trump has a lot of power. He has virtually no good will,” said Ian Bremmer, the president of the Eurasia Group, a New York City-based global risk assessment firm. With a few exceptions, including the United Kingdom where Trump was honored last week with a state visit, key allies like Japan, Korea, Canada and most of Europe, Bremmer continued, “are scared of him and trying to hedge so they’re not as reliant on the U.S., even though they’ll defer to him to not have a near-term fight.”
The president on Saturday said he’ll personally meet with “probably 20” world leaders. Among them: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who will talk defense and trade with Trump during a visit to the White House on Wednesday; Argentinian President Javier Milei, who’s trying to stop a market selloff and avoid a debt crisis. Trump will also meet on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as Russia continues to invade NATO airspace and has rebuffed his efforts to reach a peace agreement.
Trump on Sunday intimated he would consider helping defend Poland and the Baltic states, NATO allies in Eastern Europe, if Russia continues saber rattle.
“Yeah, I would. I would,” he said.
On Monday, Mike Waltz, in his first remarks to the UN security council since being sworn in as Trump’s ambassador to the organization, urged Russia to stop its “dangerous behavior” of sending jets and drones into NATO airspace. “We expect Russia to seek ways to de-escalate — not risk expansion,” Waltz said.
The U.S. and France are expected to hold a side event on Syria, according to two people familiar with the matter granted anonymity to discuss private plans, and Trump will host a reception for world leaders on Tuesday night. Syria’s new leader, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, will attend the General Assembly for the first time after former President Bashar Al-Assad was overthrown in December and the country is in the midst of a fragile transition period.
Often the U.S. is the convener of large side events, but nothing has been announced this year. The Trump administration plans to skip a French leaders gathering Monday in which France and other countries will recognize the independent Palestinian state – a symbolic gesture made even more toothless given the absence of the U.S., which has the most influence with Israel.
The move comes just ahead of the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which sparked an all-out assault on Gaza that has left thousands dead and Israel as isolated as ever.
Even as Trump and the White House voice frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the president has steadfastly refused to join in recognizing a Palestinian state, saying doing so would “reward” Hamas.
The administration denied visas to Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, and his delegation, citing security concerns. Two U.S. officials said the move was designed to sap some energy out of the event.
The U.S. even considered holding counter-programming but that was made more difficult because Rosh Hashanah begins Monday at sundown, according to a person familiar with the matter and granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive details.
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