President Donald Trump on Tuesday delivered a combative address in his return to the United Nations General Assembly, highlighting growing rifts between the United States and some of its closest allies and again putting the Western world order to the test.

The American diplomat in chief’s pointed remarks came at a time when his administration’s approach to key global issues — particularly the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine — have faced criticism from congressional Democrats and tepid pushback from European leaders also determined to remain on Trump’s good side.

White House officials on Monday had signaled that the speech would focus on what Trump has dubbed the “decay” of “globalist” institutions, a contention he has repeatedly used to justify his administration’s go-it-alone actions and moves to slash U.S. global aid. Big parts of his U.N. speech were also rooted in Trump’s “America First” philosophy, as he called on member nations to “reject the failed approaches of the past.”

Yet Trump has at times defied his “America First” instincts during his second term by injecting himself into a number of global conflicts and issues as he and his surrogates push for the Nobel Peace Prize.

“After ending all of these wars ... everyone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize for each one of these achievements. But for me, the real prize would be the sons and daughters who live to grow up with their mothers and fathers because millions of people are no longer being killed in endless and unglorious wars,” he said.

Here are four takeaways from Trump’s much-anticipated General Assembly address in New York.

‘Blow you out of existence’

The American president flashed his expansive view of executive power, declaring that his administration would continue “using the supreme power of the United States military to destroy Venezuelan terrorists and trafficking networks led by Nicolas Maduro to every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America.”

“Please be warned that we will blow you out of existence. That’s what we’re doing,” he said. “We have no choice. Can’t let it happen.”

Some congressional Democrats have questioned whether his office has the legal authority to conduct the U.S. military strikes without the blessing of Congress — though they lack the votes in either chamber to force any kind of war powers vote.

Trump blasted U.N. member nations for their collective push against global warming, calling it a “con job,” while using lines he drops almost daily to make claims about his second term.

“America is blessed with the strongest economy, the strongest borders, the strongest military, the strongest friendships and the strongest spirit of any nation on the face of the earth. This is indeed the golden age of America,” he told the General Assembly audience. “The stock market ... is doing better than it’s ever done, and all of you in this room benefit by that, almost everybody.”

‘Too great for Hamas’

Trump criticized countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Australia for recognizing a Palestinian state, and made clear his administration would do no such thing and resist an effort within the General Assembly to make such a recognition.

“The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists, for their atrocities. This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities, including Oct. 7, even while they refuse to release the hostages or accept a ceasefire,” he said of the 2023 attack on Israeli civilians.

“But instead of giving in to (Hamas’) ransom demands, those who want peace should be united with one message: Release the hostages now,” Trump said, without laying out a proposed path to a ceasefire that some media outlets had reported he would do Tuesday.

That came as top congressional Democrats contend Trump has made things worse in Gaza since he took over in January.

“America’s falling apart, and as we now see all across the world, things are falling apart on the global stage, because there’s an absence of leadership coming from the Republican Party, an absence of leadership from Donald Trump and cult-like behavior from House Republicans, who simply rubber-stamp this extreme failed agenda,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters on Sept. 10.

“In terms of the Middle East, what we need to do is simple. Hostages need to be freed. Humanitarian assistance needs to be surged into Gaza immediately and continuously so that we can alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which is unconscionable,” Jeffries added. “And then, of course, we need to find a clear path to a just and lasting peace, which means restoring the ceasefire that has been broken on Donald Trump’s watch.”

‘Europe has to step it up’

Trump’s approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict has been a source of frustration for Kyiv, European leaders and Democratic lawmakers back home. On Tuesday, he had some critical words for Moscow — and his European counterparts.

“It’s not making Russia look good. It’s making them look bad, no matter what happens from here on out,” Trump said, then turning his focus to leaders across the Old Continent.

“Inexcusably, even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy and Russian energy products,” he said. “Think of it: They’re funding the war against themselves. Who the hell ever heard of that one?”

Trump, who was slated to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy privately later Tuesday, announced he was prepared to slap new tariffs on Russia to lock in a potential — but elusive — ceasefire or longer-term peace pact.

“In the event that Russia is not ready to make a deal to end the war, then the United States is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs which would stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly,” he contended. “But for those tariffs to be effective, European nations, all of you who are gathered here right now, would have to join us in adopting the exact same measures.”

He said he knew European leaders would not be “thrilled” at those words, but they would discuss it before he returned to the White House on Tuesday night.

‘Instead of the United Nations’

Trump had some tough words for the United Nations and other global entities, which have long been a target of congressional Republicans and his “Make America Great Again” movement.

He repeated his claim — which foreign relations-minded Democrats in Congress have rejected — that he has ended “seven wars” since returning to office. Specifically he listed: “Cambodia and Thailand; Kosovo and Serbia; the Congo and Rwanda; a vicious, violent war that was Pakistan and India; Israel and Iran; Egypt and Ethiopia; and Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

He then lambasted the U.N. as an ineffective body, at one point asking rhetorically: “What is the purpose of the United Nations?”

“It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them, and sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them,” Trump said. “Never even received a phone call from the United Nations offering to help in finalizing the deal.”

“All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that, on the way up (Tuesday morning), stopped right in the middle. If the first lady wasn’t in great shape, she would have fallen, but she’s in great shape. We’re both in great shape. We both stood,” he said, shaking his head. “And then a teleprompter that didn’t work. These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter. Thank you very much.”

Trump accused the U.N. of not solving problems and “actually creating new problems for us to solve.”

“The best example is the No. 1 political issue of our time: the crisis of uncontrolled migration. Your countries are being ruined,” he said, before accusing the global body of “funding an assault on Western countries and their borders. ... Your countries are going to hell.”

After his speech, Trump was scheduled to hold a series of meetings on the sidelines of the annual General Assembly session. Aides on Monday listed a number of meetings with other world leaders, including from Ukraine, Argentina and the European Union. Also on his schedule is a group meeting with Middle Eastern leaders, including the heads of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

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