Sep 22, 2026 · 11 min
Trump defends Iran war as approval hits career low
Trump's UN speech, ICC sanctions and Turkey's LGBTQ+ crackdown (Updated)
The episode connects a combative UN address and pressure on the International Criminal Court with domestic political weakness and widening rights concerns in Turkey.
- 1Trump defended the Iran war at the UN while promoting artificial intelligence and interventionist foreign policy.
- 2A Reuters-Ipsos poll put Trump's approval at 32%, with cost-of-living concerns and the war weakening support.
- 3Turkey's coordinated raids on LGBTQ+ people and activists drew accusations of government repression from rights groups and opposition figures.
Don't miss
Trump's UN address combined a defense of the Iran war with an attack on the International Criminal Court as his approval reached a career low.
The brief
At the UN General Assembly, Donald Trump defended the United States' ongoing war with Iran, suggested a deal could follow the midterm elections, and highlighted interventionist actions in Venezuela.
Trump also urged the United States to encourage artificial intelligence, rejecting warnings about its risks and arguing that the technology could eclipse the Industrial Revolution and internet.
The political backdrop is increasingly difficult: a Reuters-Ipsos poll put Trump's approval at 32%, with cost-of-living concerns and the Iran war eroding support, including among Republicans.
Trump attacked the International Criminal Court and urged countries to leave it, while his administration prepared broader sanctions against its judges and prosecutors.
Turkey's authorities detained LGBTQ+ people and activists in coordinated raids, calling the operation a defense of children and family values; rights groups and opposition figures called it repression.
The episode closes with controversy over Charles Spencer's memoir Swan Song, including Buckingham Palace's unusually forceful rejection of claims about King Charles's reaction to Diana's death.
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