Trump on U.N. meetings: 'Some tricky' things happening

President Donald Trump teased his upcoming speech before the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday morning, suggesting on Twitter that there are “many good things, and some tricky ones” that he plans to address with world leaders later in the day.

“Big day at the United Nations - many good things, and some tricky ones, happening,” Trump wrote online. “We have a great team. Big speech at 10:00 A.M.”

While the president did not offer any further clarity on which worldwide issues he considers to be good and which he considers to be tricky, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tuesday that Trump’s speech will promote “principled realism.” The president’s remarks will emphasize American values, Nauert said on Fox News’s “Fox & Friends,” as well as sovereignty.

“We take a clear-eyed look at the world but still promote American values, including democracy, human rights, all of those things that we as Americans embody and show the world every single day,” Nauert said. “Another piece of this will be sovereignty. Promoting strong countries. We want strong countries. Strong allies so that we can fight the battles for the future. And when I say fight, I don't mean militarily, I mean diplomatically.”

The State Department spokeswoman specifically noted the deterioration of democracy in Venezuela as a concern for the U.S. government, as are the “destabilizing factors” that she said emanate from the Iranian government.

Trump, who offered a riff on his campaign slogan Monday by telling reporters that his goal was to “make the United Nations great,” was critical of the multinational organization during the 2016 election. Tuesday morning, Nauert said the U.S. would continue to seek reforms at the UN and specifically noted the work of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, whom she praised for her efforts at tamping down the anti-Israel bias that many complain is prevalent inside the UN.

“[Trump] applauded the United Nations for taking steps to reform itself. They also recognize, as do the member states, that they have reforms that need to be made,” Nauert said. “Make the United Nations far more about helping people and far less about a bloated bureaucracy. So they’re starting to make those changes.”