Most of the commentary on President Trump's first address to the UN General Assembly has focused upon referring to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un as "Rocket Man".
However, I was most struck by what he said about the Iran nuclear deal:
We cannot let a murderous regime continue these destabilizing activities while building dangerous missiles, and we cannot abide by an agreement if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear program. The Iran Deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into. Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States, and I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it -- believe me.
If President Trump considers the Iran nuclear deal to be an embarrassment to the United States then why hasn't he announced that he will withdraw from the agreement? This isn't a binding treaty. How is this any different than the Paris Agreement? Who or what is stopping him from putting an end to the Iran nuclear deal? Mattis? McMaster? Kelly? Or is Trump using the Iran nuclear deal as a rhetorical device in the way President Obama did with Gitmo?
I'm not sure why conservatives are falling over themselves in praise of this speech. Then again I'm not sure why conservatives worship the ground on which Trump walks either. Whatever the reasons, I can't take this speech seriously.
Should Trump actually withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal then his words before the UN General Assembly will mean something. But unless its in 140 characters or less, Trump's words are generally meaningless.
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