Trump scolds UN over escalator, teleprompter and inaction in General Assembly address: Live

President Donald Trump says he’s come to the UN “to offer the hand of American leadership and friendship to any nation in this assembly that is willing to join us in forging a safer, more prosperous world.”

He adds that there is “no more serious danger to our planet” than nuclear weapons, “of which the United States, as you know, has many.”

President Donald Trump gets some good-natured laughs from complaints about an escalator at United Nations Headquarters and the broken teleprompter, which appears to have started working again.

“All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up stopped right in the middle. If the first lady wasn’t in great shape, she would have fallen, but she’s in great shape … This is these are two things I got from the United Nations, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter. Thank you very much. And by the way, it’s working now.”

Speaking about immigration into the U.S., there is some laughter in the room when he threatens illegal aliens: “If you come illegally into the United States, you’re going to jail, or you’re going back to where you came from, or perhaps even further than that. You know what that means.”

President Donald Trump opens his speech by bashing his own country under his predecessor: “Here in the United States. Four years of weakness, lawlessness, and radicalism under the last administration delivered our nation into a repeated set of disasters.

“One year ago, our country was in deep trouble. But today, just eight months into my administration, we are the hottest country anywhere in the world, and there is no other country even close.”

President Donald Trump begins his remarks at the UN General Assembly, lamenting that the teleprompter is broken.

“Whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble,” Trump says.

By tradition, Brazil’s head of state — Lula da Silva — speaks first.

In what appears to be a direct swipe at Trump — who has ordered sanctions on Brazil for jailing convicted coup plotter and former president Eduardo Bolsonaro — Lula warns that “anti-democratic forces are trying to subjugate institutions and stifle freedoms” across the globe.

“They worship violence, praise ignorance, act as physical and digital militias and restrict the press,” he said before condemning Trump’s actions without mentioning his name.

“Brazil chose to resist and defend its democracy regained 40 years ago by its people after two decades of dictatorial governments, There is no justification for unilateral and arbitrary measures against our institutions and our economy,” he said.

Bolsonaro, Lula said, “was investigated, indicted, tried and held accountable for his actions in a meticulous process.”

He adds that the trial and conviction of the former president “sent a message to all aspiring autocrats and those who support them.”

President Donald Trump has arrived at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.

In a lengthy, rambling post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump has announced that he will not meet with Democratic Party congressional leaders, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.

They had been set to meet to discuss funding the government as the October 1 deadline looms.

After reviewing the details of the unserious and ridiculous demands being made by the Minority Radical Left Democrats in return for their Votes to keep our thriving Country open, I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive. They are threatening to shut down the Government of the United States unless they can have over $1 Trillion Dollars in new spending to continue free healthcare for Illegal Aliens (A monumental cost!), force Taxpayers to fund Transgender surgery for minors, have dead people on the Medicaid roles, allow Illegal Alien Criminals to steal Billions of Dollars in American Taxpayer Benefits, try to force our Country to again open our Borders to Criminals and to the World, allow men to play in women’s sports, and essentially create Transgender operations for everybody.

He adds: “I look forward to meeting with them if they get serious about the future of our Nation.”