President Donald Trump told world leaders at the United Nations on Tuesday that he would reject global taxes, casting the pledge as part of a wider defense of American sovereignty in his address to the General Assembly.
“There is no global government — and while I am President, there will be no global taxes,” Trump said, according to a White House account of the speech. The State Department shared the remark on X alongside his criticism of the International Criminal Court, which he called an “out-of-control institution.”
The tax pledge came amid a broader attack on international bodies that Trump said were exceeding their proper role. He accused senior UN human rights officials of focusing on US immigration and policies concerning children while paying too little attention to abuses elsewhere. He also criticized UNESCO over what he described as its promotion of mass migration.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: There is no global government, and while I'm President, there will be no global taxes. The United States is equally opposed to the out-of-control institution known as the International Criminal Court. pic.twitter.com/Y1fXDdcyMY
— Department of State (@StateDept) September 22, 2026
Sovereignty at center of UN address
Trump argued that nations have a right to preserve their sovereignty and rejected international control over artificial intelligence. Taken together, his remarks placed taxation, borders and emerging technology within a larger dispute over how much authority international institutions should have.
The White House’s published highlights did not identify a specific global tax proposal or detail new steps the administration would take to block one.
A broader message to world leaders
The president also defended his foreign policy record, saying he had acted while other leaders talked. He cited Iran and threats in the Western Hemisphere as examples of issues he had confronted. Trump repeated his pledge to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and said the United States would use military power if necessary to protect its interests.
Eric Daugherty, Author at Florida’s Voice, praised the speech in a lengthy post on X. He singled out the opposition to global taxes and the ICC, along with Trump’s criticisms of mass migration and the UN’s response to the persecution of Christians.
Trump closed the White House’s published selection of remarks by invoking America’s 250 years of independence and saying its freedom would not be surrendered. His rejection of global taxes was one of the address’s clearest statements about where he believes the limits of international authority lie.
