Trump at his religious freedom meeting on Monday, 23 September 2019. His introduction drew a standing ovation from the crowd. No mention was made of the plight of Uighur Muslims in China, where more than a million Uighur Muslims are held in internment camps. Photo: Peter Foley / EPA
Trump at his religious freedom meeting on Monday, 23 September 2019. His introduction drew a standing ovation from the crowd. No mention was made of the plight of Uighur Muslims in China, where more than a million Uighur Muslims are held in internment camps. Photo: Peter Foley / EPA

By Julian Borger
23 September 2019

NEW YORK (The Guardian) – In the UN general assembly chamber, the world’s leaders gathered to share the latest grim news of the planet’s climate crisis, but 100 metres away another meeting had been prepared: a summit of one.

Donald Trump had booked a separate venue in the middle of the UN climate action summit, to hold his “global call to protect religious freedom” – an issue close to the heart of the core supporters whose turnout will be critical in next year’s presidential election.

The 10 long rows of desks at the back of conference room 3, usually assigned to member state delegations, had been made available to representatives of American religious groups who had been issued tickets for the occasion.

As the room filled up, there was growing anticipation of Trump’s arrival. Delegates were asked to take their seats three times – only for the alert to be lifted and the crowd permitted to relax. It turned out the president had made a last-minute change to his timetable, and paid a visit to the climate change summit after all.

On Sunday, Trump had seemed taken aback when asked whether he was snubbing the world and its concerns about the climate emergency.

“No, it’s not a snub at all. I’m very busy,” he said, mentioning he had been briefed on floods in Texas. “The floods are very important to me, and, uh, climate change – everything is very important.”

Climate activist Greta Thunberg glares at Donald Trump arriving at the United Nations on 23 September 2019, after she scolded international politicians over inaction on global warming at Climate Action Summit 2019. Photo: The Independent
Climate activist Greta Thunberg glares at Donald Trump arriving at the United Nations on 23 September 2019, after she scolded international politicians over inaction on global warming at Climate Action Summit 2019. Photo: The Independent

Trump’s surprise appearance at the climate summit coincided with a speech by the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi. As the Indian leader spoke, Trump leaned forward in his seat as if listening intently – but it was unclear if was wearing any form of device to hear the translation. […]

Trump’s introduction drew a standing ovation from the crowd.

Trump generally stuck to his prepared text about religious persecution, with ad libs, only to express his disbelief that he was the first US president to come to the UN to speak up for religious liberty.

He ended with an appeal to all governments “to honour the eternal right of every person to follow their conscience, live by their faith, and give glory to God”, and then handed over to Guterres.

By this time, Guterres, having been obliged to leave the climate summit he had spent a year planning to find himself in the midst of a political rally, was leaning as far away from Trump as his seat would allow.

But here was another way in his Guterres’s speech resembled Trump’s. In their litany, neither man mentioned China, which is currently detaining more than a million Uighur Muslims. [more]

Trump drops by climate summit – then hurries off to talk faith and freedom