There's nothing quite like laughter

[robkelk]

Trump rejects globalism, touts 'doctrine of patriotism' at UN General Assembly

Trump arrived late, forcing a last-minute scheduling switch, then received polite applause but also blank stares as he took his blustery brand of policies to the annual General Assembly.

Speaking in triumphal terms, Trump approached the address as an annual report to the world on his country's progress since his inauguration. He touted economic figures, declared that the U.S. military is "more powerful than it has ever been before," and crowed that in "less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country."

Five sentences into the president's remarks, the audience began to chuckle and some leaders broke into outright laughter, suggesting the one-time reality television star's puffery is as familiar abroad as it is at home.

Yeah.

But that's probably a good thing. Somebody who takes himself as seriously as he does while refusing to listen to facts needs to be laughed at to his face on occasion. Especially if he can't be bothered to show respect to his audience by showing up on time.

The laughter in the first moments of the address evoked a campaign line Trump frequently deployed against his predecessor Barack Obama — who embraced international engagement — suggesting that due to weak American leadership, "the world is laughing at us."

No, the world is not laughing at the United States of America. The world is laughing at Trump. The POTUS is not the USA.