On September 23, 2025, the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly opened in New York with an unmistakable sense of urgency and tension. As tradition dictates, the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was the first world leader to address the assembly, setting a combative tone that would reverberate throughout the day. With the world watching, Lula delivered a speech that not only outlined Brazil’s priorities but also issued pointed rebukes to the United States and its president, Donald Trump, who was scheduled to speak immediately after him.
Lula’s address was a sweeping defense of democracy and multilateralism at a time he described as fraught with rising authoritarianism. According to UN News, Lula began by warning, “Multilateralism is in check,” and criticized what he called a “disordered international state.” He lamented that “attacks on sovereignty, arbitrary sanctions, and unilateral interventions are becoming the rule. There is a clear parallel between the multilateralism crisis and the weakening of democracy.” Without naming Trump directly, Lula’s message was unmistakable—he was taking aim at the U.S. president’s recent policies and rhetoric.
A central theme of Lula’s speech was the defense of Brazil’s sovereignty, especially in the wake of U.S. actions following the conviction of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. Earlier in September, Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for plotting a military coup, an event that drew sharp reactions from Trump, who imposed steep tariffs and sanctions on Brazil, claiming they were in retaliation for a “witch hunt” against his ally. Lula countered forcefully, declaring, “There is no justification for unilateral and arbitrary measures against our institutions and our economy. The aggression against the independence of the judiciary branch of power is unacceptable.”
Lula also used the international stage to call for broader reforms, advocating for an end to inequality and food insecurity, enhanced rights and protections for women, a reduction in arms spending, and increased taxes on the wealthiest. “Poverty is as much an enemy of democracy as extremism,” he noted, underscoring the interconnectedness of social and political stability.
But perhaps the most emotionally charged moment came as Lula turned his attention to the Middle East. He did not mince words about the ongoing conflict in Gaza, stating unequivocally that a “genocide” was occurring. As reported by Anadolu Agency, Lula warned, “The massacre would not have happened without the complicity of those who can prevent it.” He emphasized that “the Palestinian people are at risk of disappearing” and would only survive “with an independent state.” Lula painted a grim picture, saying tens of thousands of Palestinian children were buried under the rubble, an act that was also “burying international law.”
While Lula condemned Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel as “indefensible,” he was equally clear that “nothing, absolutely nothing,” justified what he described as the “ongoing genocide in Gaza.” His remarks drew attention to the broader international community’s role, warning that the massacre in Gaza “would not have happened without the complicity of those who can prevent it.” It was a clarion call for accountability—and an implicit critique of the United States and other powerful actors at the UN.
Lula’s speech also touched on U.S. military actions closer to home. He criticized the Trump administration’s extrajudicial bombing of boats in the Caribbean Sea suspected of drug trafficking, arguing, “The most effective way to combat drug trafficking is to cooperate to suppress money laundering and limit arms trade. Using lethal force in situations that do not constitute armed conflict is tantamount to executing people without trial.” He stressed that “the path to dialogue must not be closed in Venezuela.”
Trump, who reportedly listened to Lula’s speech in its entirety, wasted little time in responding—though not directly to the Brazilian president’s points. According to The New York Times, Trump’s address was a meandering, nearly hour-long critique of the United Nations, its mission, and its member states. He questioned the effectiveness of the organization, stating, “Sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any on them.” Trump aired familiar grievances, targeting immigration, green energy, and NATO allies who had recognized Palestinian statehood.
On the subject of Brazil, Trump was explicit. He justified the 50 percent tariffs imposed on the South American nation, saying they were a response to “unfair political persecution” related to the legal case against Bolsonaro, whom he called a friend and ally. Trump asserted, “We were using tariffs to defend our sovereignty. Brazil was paying tariffs for a series of supposed political offenses.”
Trump’s speech also included a demand for the return of all hostages from Gaza, though he did not address the humanitarian crisis or Israel’s military actions in the enclave. He doubled down on his skepticism of climate science, referring to global warming as a “hoax” and celebrating the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate accord. “If you don’t get away from this green scam, your country is going to fail,” Trump warned, dismissing scientific consensus on climate change.
Outside the UN building, the day’s drama extended to the streets of Manhattan. Dozens of anti-Trump protesters, many affiliated with the group Rise and Resist, were detained by police after blocking traffic near the assembly. “Other countries need to know that people who reside in the United States do not approve of Trump,” said protester Alexis Danzig to The New York Times. Another demonstrator, Barry Spaulding, explained his motivation: “I better use my right to free speech before we lose it.” Their signs, some reading “Trump is the emergency,” reflected the deep polarization surrounding Trump’s return to the world stage.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres opened the session with a sober assessment of global affairs, warning about the “dangerously chaotic state of the world” while urging unity and diplomacy. “People everywhere are demanding something better, and we owe them something deserving of their trust,” he said, highlighting the stakes of the moment.
The day’s agenda was packed, with other world leaders—including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan—delivering speeches that focused on the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. The Security Council was set to convene special sessions on both conflicts, though divisions among major powers, especially the vetoes wielded by Russia and the United States, threatened to stymie meaningful action.
Against this backdrop, the dueling speeches of Lula and Trump offered a stark contrast in worldviews. Lula’s defense of democracy, multilateralism, and social justice clashed with Trump’s unilateralism, skepticism of international institutions, and unapologetic nationalism. Their words echoed far beyond the halls of the United Nations, signaling the deep divisions—and the high stakes—that will shape global politics in the months ahead.