President Trump certainly put the hay down where us mules can get to it. That phrase was made famous by the late, great editor of the Atlanta Constitution, Ralph McGill. Mr. Trump took the tactic to a United Nations that is famous for smarmy generalities and false obeisance to high principle. Instead, Mr. Trump delivered a dose of realism in the clearest yet sketch of his doctrine of sovereignty.

He started by boasting about America’s progress, saying that in two years his administration “has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.” This was met with laughter by the un-elected kleptocrats and Euro-socialists who preside over the slow-growing economies. Mr. Trump cocked his head and chuckled along with them.

Then he got down to sketching his doctrine of “principled realism.” He addressed, among other things, his decision to abrogate the articles of appeasement on Iran, to move the American embassy to, in Jerusalem, Israel’s capital, his reasoning on trade reforms, and his view of refugees (take care of them as close to their homelands as possible). The assembly had long since stopped laughing.

What drew our attention, though, was his drawing out of the sovereignty question, which is a challenge to the world body at the most fundamental level. He most bluntly rejected any authority of the International Criminal Court. He reclaimed the Monroe Doctrine and announced new sanctions on Venezuela. He said he has ordered Secretary Pompeo to lead a review of our whole foreign aid scheme.

Yet the part that most riveted us was when the president spoke of the “dreams that fill this hall today,” hopes that are “as diverse as the people who have stood at this podium” and as “varied as the countries represented here.” He spoke of the “bold new reforms” the king and crown prince are attempting in Saudi Arabia and Israel’s “70th anniversary as a thriving democracy in the Holy Land.”

“In Poland,” the president said, “the great people are standing up for their independence, their security, and their sovereignty.” He spoke of the “many countries” who are “chasing their own wonderful dreams of destiny, of legacy, and of a home.” He said “the whole world is richer” and “humanity is better” because of “this beautiful constellation of nations, each very special, each very unique, each shining brightly.”

The only country that he failed to mention by name that begged for a salute was Britain, which has placed, in Brexit, the greatest recent bet on independence of any country in the hall. It was an understandable oversight, given his pledge to let other countries run their own affairs. For his speech was a remarkable paean to the members of the world body, even while he was challenging the multilateralism of, in the United Nations Charter, a treaty that has failed.