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Trump’s UN Speech Hurts America and the International System
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Trump’s UN Speech Hurts America and the International System

Abigail Bard analyzes how President Donald Trump's appeals to national sovereignty serve the purpose of condoning authoritarian regimes and relinquishing the United States' commitments to the international system.

In front of the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, President Donald Trump made it clear that the United States has thrown away its moral compass and abdicated its leadership in the international community.

During his speech, Trump preached the gospel of “sovereignty,” stating that “the United States will not tell you how to live, work, or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.” He later proclaimed that the “the whole world is richer” and “humanity is better” because countries are pursuing “their own unique visions.” While these intentions seem honorable at first inspection, Trump has used the vocabulary of diversity to walk back America’s commitment to democracy and human rights around the globe. Instead of promoting democratic values, as is part of the State Department’s vision, the United States has now stated that authoritarian governments can do as they please.

The above excerpt was originally published in The National Interest. Click here to view the full article.

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Authors

Abigail Bard

Former Policy Analyst, Asia