President Trump delivers first speech at UN

NEW YORK – President Donald Trump issued harsh warnings to North Korea and Iran during his closely watched first address to the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday morning.

A day short of the eight-month mark of his presidency, he emphasized putting America first and protecting the interests of the American people. He specifically called out Iran and North Korea, making the argument that their governments are acting outside of their people's self-interest.

He also sent a strong message, promising to stop radical Islamic terrorism and oppressive regimes. That included confronting North Korea on its quest to develop nuclear weapons. 

“The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to destroy North Korea. Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime."

The president also took aim at the Iran nuclear deal, calling it an embarrassment to the United States.

The speech was written to deliver a "deeply philosophical address," according to a senior administration official involved in its drafting, one that frames his foreign policy as a rational attempt to move countries toward working in their own self-interests.

The speech addressed "the need for us to work towards common goals" and not to dictate to other countries "how to live, what system of government to have," the official said.

Trump has offered a wide range of views on the UN in the past, most recently determining the body is underperforming and inefficient.

"In recent years, the United Nations has not reached its full potential because of bureaucracy and mismanagement," Trump said Monday during a meeting about reforming the UN, his first remarks during a hurried week of diplomacy here. "We are not seeing the results in line with this investment."

Despite the criticism, Trump has seen some of his top foreign policy victories emerge from the UN's Security Council, which has passed rounds of sanctions on North Korea for its ballistic missile program.