President Trump opened his address to world leaders by declaring that “America is back” and saying the United States is stronger than ever, before turning to Iran, the economy and his administration’s foreign-policy agenda.
President Donald Trump addressed the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, opening with a broad defense of his administration’s domestic and foreign-policy record.
“I can report to you with pride that America is back, and our country is stronger today than ever before,” President Trump said at the start of the address, according to Reuters.
He pointed to the strength of the U.S. economy and used the speech to defend his administration’s approach to Iran. Reuters reported that President Trump argued the U.S. military campaign prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and presented his administration’s peace efforts as part of a broader strategy centered on American interests and sovereignty.
The address came as world leaders gathered in New York amid continuing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. President Trump’s schedule also includes meetings with multiple foreign leaders during the U.N. high-level week.
His statement that the country is “stronger today than ever before” was presented as an assessment of his own record; the speech also drew scrutiny from critics over the administration’s foreign-policy decisions and the ongoing economic effects of the Iran conflict.
Sources
Reuters, Sept. 22, 2026; United Nations.
