--- title: Trump Touted Accomplishments in U.N. Speech. Leaders Laughed description: President Donald Trump boasted about his accomplishments at the United Nations, provoking laughter from the audience of global leaders canonical: https://time.com/5405800/donald-trump-united-nations-speech-laughter/ author: Katie Reilly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-09-25T16:36:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-13T08:00:31.235Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Boasted About His Accomplishments at the U.N. The Audience Laughed og:description: "Didn't expect that reaction, but that's okay," Trump said og:url: https://time.com/5405800/donald-trump-united-nations-speech-laughter/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfdcce3ec9ac60ac0/69893b13457a526b35d5f782/donald-trump-united-nations-laughter.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3759 og:image:height: 2114 og:image:alt: UN-ASSEMBLY-DIPLOMACY og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Boasted About His Accomplishments at the U.N. The Audience Laughed twitter:description: "Didn't expect that reaction, but that's okay," Trump said twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfdcce3ec9ac60ac0/69893b13457a526b35d5f782/donald-trump-united-nations-laughter.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Trump Boasted About His Accomplishments at the United Nations. The Audience Laughed > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=fa314709-4745-40ef-99de-5f544aa7c9fc&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Donald Trump Addresses the U.N. General Assembly in New York City [Watch (HLS stream): President Donald Trump Addresses the U.N. General Assembly in New York City](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/JJSP69E2.m3u8) (2:51)  _Published 2018-09-25. President Donald Trump Addresses the U.N. General Assembly in New York City_  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Sep 25, 2018 4:36 PM UTC  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Sep 25, 2018 4:36 PM UTC Addressing the [United Nations General Assembly](http://time.com/5405514/un-general-assembly-convenes-2018/) on Tuesday, President Donald Trump boasted that his administration had already “accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country” — a claim that provoked unintentional laughter from the audience of global leaders. “In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country,” Trump said at the beginning of his address. “So true!” Audible laughter from the audience followed. “Didn’t expect that reaction, but that’s okay,” Trump said in response. Before he was elected president, Trump frequently lamented that “the world is laughing at us,” as he criticized policies of the Obama Administration. > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/266034957875544064) > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/543075492849799168) > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/498008486551506945) > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/922830229525225477) “Our military will soon be more powerful than it has ever been before. In other words, the United States is stronger, safer and a richer country than it was when I assumed office less than two years ago,” Trump said Tuesday. “We are standing up for America and for the American people, and we are also standing up for the world.” He touted his “highly productive” summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and pointed to progress on denuclearization, thanking Kim “for his courage.” The remarks represented a stark difference from Trump’s [first speech to the United Nations](http://time.com/4947942/trump-totally-destroy-threatens-north-korea-un-speech-transcript/) one year ago, when he threatened to [“totally destroy North Korea.](http://time.com/4947990/trump-threatens-north-korea-totally-destroy/)” Trump also reiterated his administration’s America First policies, criticizing the International Criminal Court and U.N. Human Rights Council, saying “we reject the ideology of globalism.” “Together, let us choose a future of patriotism, prosperity and pride,” Trump said. “Let us choose peace and freedom over domination and defeat. And let us come here to this place to stand for our people and our nations, forever strong, forever sovereign.” ## Transcript One year ago I stood before you for the first time in this grand hall. I addressed the threats facing our world and I presented a vision to achieve a brighter future for all of humanity. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Today I stand before the United Nations General Assembly to share the extraordinary progress we've made. In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration. In the history of our country, America is, so true. [ LAUGH ] [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Didn't expect that reaction. But that's okay. [ LAUGH ] [ APPLAUSE ] The United States lost over 3 million manufacturing job, nearly a quarter of all steel jobs and 60, 000 factories after China joined the WTO [ BLANK_AUDIO ] And we have racked up $ 13 trillion deficit over the last two decades, but those days are over. We will no longer tolerate such abuse. We will not allow our workers to be victimized Our companies to be cheated, and our wealth to be plundered and transfered. America will never apologize for protecting its citizens. The United States will provide no support in recognition to the international criminal court. As far as America is concerned, the ICC has no jurisdiction, no legitimacy, and no authority. The ICC claims near universal jurisdiction over the citizens of every country, violating all principles of justice, fairness, and due process We will never surrender America's soverignty to an unelected, unaccountable, global bureaucracy. America is governed by Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine Of patriotism. OPEC and OPEC nations are, as usual, ripping off the rest of the world, [ BLANK_AUDIO ] and I don't like it. Nobody should like it. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5405800/donald-trump-united-nations-speech-laughter/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5405800/donald-trump-united-nations-speech-laughter/"},"headline":"President Trump Boasted About His Accomplishments at the United Nations. 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