President Donald Trump said in an interview with U.S. media group Politico that he was unaware that the U.S. was behind on its commitments to the UN. But he was sure he could “solve the problem very easily” and get other countries to pay—if only the UN would ask.
“If they came to Trump and told him, I’d get everybody to pay up, just like I got NATO to pay up,” he said, referring to himself in the third person. “All I have to do is call these countries… they would send checks within minutes.”
Trump’s comments follow a report in The New York Times that senior UN officials have warned the organization could be forced to scale back operations—or even shut its New York headquarters—if it runs out of cash.
Trump dismissed the idea out of hand. “I don’t think it’s appropriate. The UN is not leaving New York, and it’s not leaving the United States, because the UN has tremendous potential,” Trump said, striking a protective tone toward an institution he has frequently attacked.
While he insisted the UN has failed to live up to its promise, he framed it as an institution that remains indispensable, particularly as his own role on the global stage eventually ends.
“When I’m no longer around to settle wars, the UN can,” the US president said, acknowledging that he won’t always be the one intervening in global conflicts. “It has tremendous potential. Tremendous.”
