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(CNN) – It's a laugh that has been heard all over the world.
It was also a laugh that the world – or at least its leaders – had at the expense of President Trump.
In opening his speech at the United Nations General Assembly this week, President Trump did not seem to be expecting this humorous interlude as he embarked on a narrative of his accomplishments so far.
There was no serious problem, but a short break, perhaps to understand what was happening.
In a few seconds, Twitter is turned on.
Shortly after, television stations, including CNN, broadcast excerpts from an old Trump quote – "They Make Fun of Us" – in reference to the administration of President Obama.
The answer was clear: the president has messed up. Even worse, his fragile ego was attacked.
(Photo credit: NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP / Getty Images)
And to quote his wife, the first lady, Melania Trump, the president should not make fun of: "As you know now, if you attack him, he will hit 10 times stronger."
The world has become very familiar with the Trumpian punchback. This is the signature of his presidency since the first day.
Do you remember the controversy surrounding Trump's inauguration crowd in January 2017?
He can not.
Speaking the next day at CIA headquarters, Trump told intelligence officials gathered: "I delivered a speech. I looked out. The land looked like a million, a million and a half people. "
The problem was that the images were placed side by side, showing the crowds during the inaugurations of Trump and Obama. They told a different story. Trump's crowd was noticeably smaller.
Trump's already raucous battle with reporters has grown.
His deputy, Kelly Anne Conway, supported Trump and his spokesman Sean Spicer, saying the White House was presenting "alternative facts".
Since then, Trump has not let down. He continued to double, triple, quadruple his version and brag about the big numbers that turned out to be no longer "alternative facts", but a lie.
So, two days after the appearance before the UN, when Trump was questioned about "LaughterGate" at a press conference, he replied. And no one was surprised by his response: "The false news was that people were making fun of President Trump. They did not laugh at me. People had a good time with me. We did it together. We had a good time. They respect what I have done.
Stick to the word "respect". It's at the heart of Trump's worldview.
What he laughs at is that he reversed Obama's bleak record of respect, saying to reporters, "The United States is once again being respected. The United States was not respected. Everyone took advantage of us.
If the crowd divergence during the inauguration ceremony is needed, Trump will feel the need to scratch again with the reporters. But for those who made fun of the UNGA, their irreverence towards the president might well have a different cost.
More deeply in his speech, Trump issued this warning for the other 180 leaders: "We are looking hard at US foreign aid … Moving forward, we will only give foreign aid to those who respect us and are our friends. "
Once trapped in Trump's wrath, world leaders have trouble shaking – just ask Justin Trudeau from Canada and Angela Merkel from Germany.
After Trump left the G7 summit in Canada this summer, he accused Trudeau of being "dishonest," tweeting later: "Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was so sweet at our G7 meetings went off saying that "US tariffs were a little insulting" and that "it" will not be forced to do so. " Very dishonest and weak. "
As Trudeau's niche grew, Trump turned transactions into commercial transactions for all Canadians: "It will cost a lot of money for Canadians."
Three months later, when Trudeau arrived in New York for the General Assembly, Trump's grudge or tactic of trade negotiation had hardened, claiming he had rejected a meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister. Why? "Since his rates are too high, he does not seem to want to move and I told him to forget about it. And frankly, we're just thinking of taxing cars coming from Canada. "
Those who know that they were laughing at Trump at the UN General Assembly might also want to reflect on the fate of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Even before becoming president, Trump gave him a hard time, criticizing the number of Mercedes Benz vehicles on the streets of New York. A few months later, during his first meeting with Trump at the White House, he refused to shake his hand.
This summer, Trump strongly criticized him at the NATO summit in Belgium for not spending a lot of money. At the United Nations General Assembly, he inflicted a gas pipeline from Russia. "Germany will become totally dependent on Russian energy if it does not change course immediately."
Trump's beef with Germany is mainly about trade and EU regulation. Merkel is arguably the most influential European leader. But his two Achilles heels for criticism and isolation of the European herd are contributions from NATO and the pipeline.
The lesson for UN delegates who may have laughed is this: hope you will not be discovered.
President Trump loves respect. He will not forget. And he can have the last laugh.
(TM and © Copyright 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company All Rights Reserved.)
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