President Donald Trump had spent the day at the United Nations threatening Iran, boasting about American power and presenting himself as the man who could force international disputes to a resolution. But when his motorcade finally pulled away from the U.N., the president got a brutal surprise.
Protesters were waiting outside, blocking the road and raising signs that accused him of being a “war criminal” and a man who “lies all the time.”
The confrontation provided a jarring bookend to a day in which Trump commanded the world stage inside the U.N. while facing sharp opposition outside it.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered around the United Nations on Tuesday, including a separate rally of Iranian-Americans protesting Iran’s government, while another group staged a sit-in that led to arrests.
Trump’s address to the General Assembly had already set an aggressive tone. He threatened Iran with annihilation if its leaders refused to reach a deal over its nuclear program, asking the global body, “Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?”
He also suggested Tehran could be waiting to see whether he would emerge weakened after the November midterm elections.
“I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran,” Trump declared.
The speech came as the U.S. and Iran remained locked in a conflict that has lasted nearly seven months, with Trump claiming that his special envoys had held a three-hour meeting with Iranian representatives. Trump pointed to Steve Witkoff as a participant, while the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also attended. Witkoff offered little detail afterward, telling reporters, “I feel very good right now,” while Iranian officials did not confirm that the meeting had occurred, according to The Hill.
Trump also used the U.N. appearance to portray American foreign policy as a series of victories.
Discussing Venezuela, where the United States had launched a military operation that removed its authoritarian leader in January, Trump declared, “To the victor go the spoils,” while gloating about seizing the South American nation’s oil assets.
He also signed an agreement involving Denmark and Greenland that ended a standoff over his previous threats to invade or annex the Arctic island.
But the scenes beyond the U.N. gates offered a different picture of the president’s visit.
Police took nearly two dozen people into custody after they sat down in a crosswalk at Second Avenue and 43rd Street before Trump arrived, CBS News reported, citing the NYPD. Officers warned the demonstrators that they could face arrest if they stayed in the roadway. Police made the arrests peacefully and expected to issue summonses before releasing the demonstrators.
The demonstrators carried signs reading “Trump Is a War Criminal,” “Trump Is a Lunatic,” and “Trump Lies All the Time,” according to video and reports from the protest.
A separate demonstration drew hundreds of Iranian-Americans who called on the international community to condemn Iran’s government and hold its leaders accountable. The group included former political prisoners, politicians and human rights activists, and their protest unfolded as Iran’s delegation attended the General Assembly.
Then came the moment that caught attention online: Trump’s motorcade leaving the U.N. only to encounter protesters directly in its path.
“Ouch,” one person wrote in reaction to video of the scene. “Good. Pure gold,” another added.
“Thank you!!” another person posted about the protesters, alongside dying-laughing emojis.
One commenter offered a deeper condemnation: “The most abysmal man on earth and the Republican Party, their supporters and voters have given us an egomaniacal, self adoring and corrupt president in the last election. We do not have a president but a want to rule the world DICTATOR.”
The protest followed a day when Trump had already drawn attention for another awkward moment on the international stage.
During his meeting Tuesday with newly elected British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Trump interrupted Burnham after the British leader referred to “Britain.” Trump launched into an explanation about the country’s various names, saying, “I think there’s a tremendous patriotism in Britain and you call it United Kingdom, Britain, sometimes they call it England. They go back to the old. It’s got more names. It’s got more names than any other place in the world.”
Trump continued, “And sometimes they have to be educated,” an apparent reference to people using different names for the country.
Burnham tried to suppress his laughter before eventually lowering his head. The two leaders otherwise described their first face-to-face meeting positively, with Trump calling Burnham a “natural business person” and Burnham saying they had established a “good connection.”
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