Trump roasts UN in Malaysia, leaves press room in stitches: ‘They turned off my teleprompter’

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: It looked like President Donald Trump’s trip to Malaysia was part peace summit, part comedy special.

At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Trump roasted the United Nations and accused it of “sabotaging” his speech after a teleprompter malfunction and an escalator breakdown last month.

The 79-year-old president had just wrapped up a day of high-level diplomacy, and even joined Malaysian performers for a little dancing on the tarmac, when he lit up the room with jokes that had the local press in stitches.

“They turned off my teleprompter,” Trump said. “When I made a speech, I had to make a speech without a teleprompter. They’re good at that. The escalator wasn’t working too well. It came to a complete halt.”

The crowd erupted in laughter as Trump continued, “The United Nations should be doing this, but they don’t do it. They don’t do it. They turned off my teleprompter.”

He added, “I mean, the United Nations has such great potential. I wish they could do it. They didn’t get involved with us at all. We just did the deal and reported the deal, and everybody was sort of amazed that we got it done so quickly and so nicely.”

Trump brokers peace deal between Cambodia and Thailand

President Donald Trump was in Malaysia to sign a major peace and trade accord with the leaders of Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia, who pledged to strengthen economic ties with the United States in exchange for lower tariffs.

The agreement also formalized a truce between Cambodia and Thailand that Trump personally brokered back in July. “Millions of people are alive today because of this peace treaty,” he said, claiming the deal may have saved “millions of lives” across the two nations. The treaty ended five brutal days of fighting in July that left at least 66 people dead. It called for a full military withdrawal from a disputed border region and the exchange of prisoners of war.

For Trump, it marked a major diplomatic victory and reinforced his reputation as a peace broker. “I shouldn’t say it’s a hobby, because it’s so much more serious than a hobby, but it’s something that I’m good at, and it’s something I love to do,” Trump said. “I heard that Pakistan and Afghanistan have started up. But I’ll get that solved very quickly.”

He also hinted at his continuing efforts to help bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

World leaders praise Trump’s peace deal and diplomacy

The ceremony wasn’t without its share of comic moments. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim joked about President Donald Trump’s run-ins with the law before his 2024 comeback.

“We share lots of things in common. I was in prison, but you almost got there,” Ibrahim quipped, referring to his own past corruption charges, which he says were politically motivated.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet went a step further, saying, “Reflecting the gratitude of the Cambodian people, I have nominated President Donald J Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. He saved lives.”

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also expressed his “sincere appreciation” to Trump for helping end the deadly conflict.

Trump’s hardball diplomacy had been on full display earlier this year when he personally called both nations during the clashes and warned that he would impose higher US tariffs if they failed to reach a cease-fire. Once peace was achieved, he followed through on his promise to reward cooperation by lowering those “reciprocal” tariffs to 19% for both Cambodia and Thailand, down from his earlier threats of 49% and 36%.

Internet reacts to Trump’s UN jokes

Trump’s teleprompter tale and UN roast quickly blew up on social media. “Roasting the UN while signing peace deals is the most chaotic energy ever,” one user posted on X. “Is he doing stand-up again???” another asked.

“Whatever side one’s on, few can command a room like that. Charisma without humility divides, but paired with vision, it moves nations,” one comment read.

“Gotta love the Peace President. What a sense of humor,” someone else gushed. “He definitely is the GOAT!” another added.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.