(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said that a wave of laughter that spread through the United Nations General Assembly during his speech on Tuesday was a sign of respect from world leaders for what he’s accomplished.
“They weren’t laughing at me, they were laughing with me,” Trump said Wednesday during a press conference in New York. “We had fun.”
Trump began his Tuesday address to the UN by ticking off a list of his administration’s domestic accomplishments and statistics about the U.S. economy -- typical for a campaign rally in rural America but an unusual approach at the UN. Instead of drawing praise, the remarks drew laughter from the audience of global leaders.
“Didn’t expect that reaction,” he said amid the laughter. “But that’s OK.”
The moment offered a stark glimpse at the gap between Trump and other world leaders who have criticized the president’s approach to foreign relations on issues including trade, climate change and nuclear proliferation.
“They respect what I’ve done,” Trump said at the press conference. “The United States is respected again.”
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