“The United Nations wasn’t there for us.”Trump’s remarks reflect his long-standing wariness of multilateral institutions, particularly the United Nations. He has repeatedly questioned the effectiveness, cost and accountability of international bodies, arguing they often fail to serve U.S. interests. “What is the purpose of the United Nations? “Our country is behind the United Nations 100%,” Trump told Guterres. “These are the two things I got from the United Nations — a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter.”However, a U.N. official said the White House had operated its own teleprompter.