The left is largely critical of the President’s address, arguing that working with other countries is in our long-term interest.

“By way of introduction, Trump asserted that ‘in less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.’ The audience responded with snorts of laughter… The awkward opening was a revealing moment. Trump had been trying to set a tone of American strength — and was met with skepticism.” (Vox)

“America’s voluble president may own the podium at the General Assembly, but quietly, in the windowless committee rooms of the U.N., Chinese diplomats are busy reshaping the ground rules of international cooperation to Beijing’s liking.” (Politico)

“U.S. allies, once willing to follow America’s lead, are increasingly forging their own paths, building new partnerships independent of Washington… [For example] on trade, Canada, the European Union and Japan have all stepped up their cooperation… experts say a stealthy realignment is slowly taking place.” (Washington Post)

“Trump pledged that the U.S. would favor ‘independence and cooperation’ and would never tell any country how to live or worship — asking only that U.S. sovereignty be respected in return. Later in the same speech, he threatened countries with cuts in foreign aid if they didn’t comply with U.S. wishes (much as U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley has recently threatened other U.N. members over their votes) which seems inconsistent, to put it mildly.” (New York Magazine)

Regarding Iran, “the Trump policy appears to resemble the one Obama used to induce Iran into negotiations over its nuclear program — minus the participation of other world powers… or any actual incentives for Iran to re-engage in talks… Whether the goal is regime change or a change in the regime’s behavior, the Trump administration has failed to provide a case for how it would achieve either.” (Washington Post)

Minority opinion: “The UN itself has allowed its worst members to corrupt it… Trump is half right: The U.S. would be foolish to allow a UN court to sit in judgment of its soldiers. U.S. military action should not be subject to a veto from China, France, Russia or the United Kingdom. But the UN’s structural flaw is not just the threat it poses to the sovereignty of its members. It’s the deference it pays to the sovereignty of rogues.” (Bloomberg)

The right is supportive of the President’s focus on American sovereignty.

“Trump had a lot to say but it wouldn’t be oversimplifying at all to summarize his entire speech in two words: America first… It is a welcome relief to see a president give the diplomatic middle finger to the most corrupt body of international legislators known to mankind.” (RedState)

“What progressives have dismissed as nationalism and populism… is actually a return to the sovereignty of the democratic nation state. As with other nations, we will decide our laws. We will decide whom to allow to immigrate. We will decide what culture we want. And we will decide our destiny.” (Fox News)

“This assertion of sovereignty does not entail isolationism. It will frequently require that America engage in robust cooperation with other nations where there are mutual interests… [but] the nations of the world can neither call on the U.S. to solve every problem, hence Trump’s insistence upon NATO nations beefing up their military spending and avoiding dependency on Russia, and nor can they use unaccountable bureaucracy by needling us with spurious prosecutions in the International Criminal Court.” (Washington Examiner)

Regarding Iran, Trump “noted the corrupt nature of Iran’s leaders, speaking to the Iranian people themselves, detailing how their leaders have pilfered the nation’s vast wealth, many times for their own purposes and to destabilize the Middle East. Trump made it clear in his remarks that if Tehran wants [to] act like a rogue nation… he will press forward with sanctions that aim to cripple their economy.” (The Hill)

“This foreign policy resists the encroachment of multilateral institutions and global governance on American sovereignty. Accordingly, Trump continues the great undoing of Obama’s foreign policy… They can laugh all they want. As far as I am concerned, these are the good old days.” (Power Line Blog)

Minority opinion: “The president talked a lot about the importance of sovereignty, and then called on the rest of the world to gang up on Iran to infringe on their sovereignty… [he] had the gall to praise the Saudis and Emiratis for their humanitarian assistance to Yemen when it is their U.S.-backed bombing campaign and blockade that created the catastrophe that threatens to claim millions of lives.” (The American Conservative)