There is a cultural edge to Mr Trump’s criticism of Europe, a sense that he believes uncontrolled immigration is threatening what he sees as Europe’s Judeo Christian heritage. Not for nothing is Trump the leader of an administration that wears its religion firmly on its sleeve. “Let us protect religious liberty,” he told the UN, “including for the most persecuted religion on the planet today – it’s called Christianity.”
On a specific point of policy, the most substantive warning Trump gave related to Russia’s war on Ukraine. He said President Putin’s refusal to end the conflict was “not making Russia look good”. He said the US was prepared “to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs” to end the bloodshed. But he said European nations had to stop buying Russian energy, claiming he only found out two weeks ago that some were doing so.
In practice, Hungary and Slovakia are the only substantive European buyers of Russian oil. Diplomats say Mr Trump is hiding behind this so he does not have to impose secondary sanctions on India and China which are both buying huge amounts of cheap Russian energy, both of whom were cited by Trump.
Perhaps more important than his speech was Trump’s social media post a short while later where he asserted for the first time Ukraine could be in a position to win back all of its territory.
His dismissal of Russia as a “paper tiger” and not a “real military power” will hurt President Putin, who is sensitive to any suggestion his country is not a global player. Diplomats said this was the latest example of Mr Trump’s journey towards a position that is more critical of Russia.
But one should always treat Trump’s words with a pinch of salt. He was being optimistic only moments after meeting Ukraine’s President Zelensky at the UN.
And he said Ukraine could win back territory with EU and Nato support; there was no mention of the US involvement. All the evidence of the last few years is that this is a war of slow attrition and Ukraine would not retake land from Russia without massive US military support.
So this was undiluted Trump; a defence of America and the nation state, an assault on multilateralism and globalism, a stream of consciousness with questionable assertions.
Six years ago Trump’s audience at the UN laughed at his at times unfactual assertions; this year they listened largely in silence.
“I am really good at this stuff,” he told world leaders. “Your countries are going to hell.”