Trump UN Speech Fuels ECFR 'Culture War' Warning

A joint ECFR/European Cultural Foundation report warns President Donald Trump is waging a transatlantic "culture war" — backing like-minded parties, reframing debates on free speech, migration, climate and "wokeism," and seeking to shift Europe's ideological centre to the right while interfering in EU politics. The report cites tactics such as public humiliations over tariffs and NATO and Ukraine negotiations — previously exemplified by Vice‑President J.D. Vance’s Munich speech — and urges Europe to defend its values and strategic autonomy rather than merely react. After the report, Trump delivered a 57‑minute UN General Assembly address in which he attacked the UN as ineffective, complained about a broken escalator and teleprompter, declared “your countries are going to hell,” blamed uncontrolled migration, and called climate change a hoax while urging allies to tighten borders and expand fossil‑fuel exploration. He also pushed NATO to be tougher on Russian incursions, urged allies to stop buying Russian oil, and convened Arab‑Islamic leaders to present a proposal on ending the Gaza war and freeing hostages. European analysts and officials say the speech and broader U.S. outreach amount to a coordinated effort to shift European politics; while public attachment to the EU remains resilient, leaders including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warn that conciliatory approaches risk emboldening Moscow and complicating coordinated responses to migration, climate and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.