Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump invited the media into the Oval Office on Tuesday to watch him sign executive orders related to the United Nations and Iran, further strengthening America’s dominance on the world stage.
The president signed an order withdrawing the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council. The order will also review America’s involvement in UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), which, as indicated by White House Secretary Will Scharf, has “exhibited anti-American bias.”
The president said the United Nations was “not living up to its potential right now.” He noted that he had “great hopes for it, but it’s not being well run.”
Trump added, “It’s got great potential…but they’ve got to get their act together.”
The president also signed a national security presidential memorandum seeking to impose maximum pressure on the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the aim of sanctioning and controlling Iranian activities as it relates to nuclear programs and terrorism, according to information presented during the signing.
“I’m signing this, and I’m unhappy to do it,” Trump remarked, noting that he hoped that he would not have to utilize this power to keep Iran in check.
He said he didn’t “want to be tough on Iran” but acknowledged, “they just can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump also answered a question regarding how close Iran was to developing a nuclear weapon. “I think they’re close,” he said.
On the subject of what would happen if Iran attempted to assassinate the president again after allegedly planning to do so last year, Trump warned, “I’ve left instructions – if they do that, they get obliterated.”
He added, “That would be called total obliteration, and I can’t imagine they’d do that.”
The president also answered some questions about China’s newly announced retaliatory tariffs against the United States in response to a 10 percent tariff imposed by Trump on their imports here.
“That’s fine,” Trump said, unperturbed. He also added that he was “in no hurry” to talk to Chinese President Xi Jinping, projecting confidence that America would reign supreme on the issue.
Finally, President Trump noted that when it comes to the Gaza strip in the Middle East – which has been the source of decades of bloody warfare – the situation there “has never worked” for the Palestinians who repeatedly attempt to lay claim to the territory.
“They should get a good, fresh, beautiful piece of land…I don’t know how they could want to stay, it’s a demolition site,” he remarked.
Trump added, “I just support cleaning it up and doing something with it. But it’s failed for many decades, and somebody will be sitting here in 10 years, 20 years from now, going through the same stuff.”