Laughter in Turtle Bay

In Defying the Odds, we discuss foreign policy issues in the 2016 campaign.  During that campaign, he often said that the world is laughing at us.  At the UN this week, he made that claim come true.

Trump earlier today when foreign leaders laughed at his claim about his presidency being the most successful: "I didn't expect that reaction, but that's OK."
Several hours later: "Oh it was great. Well, that was meant to get some laughter."

— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) September 25, 2018

Emily Tamkin at Buzzfeed:

Donald Trump’s speech to the UN was met by widespread laughter, and diplomats have confirmed that their delegations were laughing at — not with — the US president.

“Sometimes, when we see a behavior or listen to arguments or notions that seem so far-fetched, unreasonable, or insane, there is almost natural reaction of laughing,” one Latin American diplomat said, speaking anonymously so he could speak freely.

The diplomat added, “It is not laughing at a good joke, but a nervous laugh, or a bad joke turned laughable precisely because the guy who tells the joke doesn't realize how bad it is.”

Laughter filled the UN General Assembly room on Tuesday after Trump said his administration “has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.”

“His words in the opening part of the speech were clearly addressed to [a] domestic audience,” wrote one European diplomat in a message that noted that other world leaders do the same. “But as he did it in the Trumpian way (bragging ridiculously about being one of the best administrations in history) people in the audience reacted how they reacted.”

“What would resonate well at a political rally in America sounded a little awkward at the UN General Assembly,” the diplomat added.