Trump accuses OPEC of 'ripping off' the U.S.

President Trump speaks at the UN.
(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/Aaron Rupar)

President Trump on Tuesday spoke before the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, stressing America's sovereignty and accusing other nations of taking advantage of American generosity.

After getting off to a rocky start, Trump said he would "reject the ideology of globalism" and instead "embrace the doctrine of patriotism." Along those lines, he accused Iranian leaders of sowing "chaos, death, and destruction," calling Iran's government a "brutal regime" that is working to "spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond." He called on other nations "to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues."

Trump additionally drew OPEC into his line of fire, criticizing the oil-producing coalition and accusing participating nations of "ripping off the rest of the world." He said the U.S. defends "many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. Not good." OPEC nations "must contribute substantially to military protection from now on," he concluded.

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He said that the U.S. would further sanction Venezuela, describing the "human tragedy" in the nation as a result of "anguish inflicted by the socialist Maduro regime," referring to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He urged other nations to "resist socialism and the misery that it brings to everyone." Taking a minute to denounce illegal immigration as harmful to "hardworking citizens," Trump said he wanted Latin American countries to "make their countries great again" to stem the flow of "crime, violence, and poverty" outside their borders.

To wrap up his "America first"-style speech, Trump leaned into nationalist sentiments. "We believe in self-government and the rule of law," he said. "We treasure our traditions. Above all, we love our country." Watch the full speech below, via CBS News. Summer Meza

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Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.