Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Trump and relations with the US at the UN.
At an informal gathering of New Zealand businesspeople in New York, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told them she had been a pushover at the past two summits she attended - literally.
Ardern told them she had two goals at the UN General Assembly: the first was not to get knocked over by another leader's security detail - something she said had happened at two previous international events.
"I get that I don't look like other world leaders," she said. "And I may be collateral damage from time to time."
She certainly got that right if the interest in Ardern was anything to judge by in New York, where she was seen by some at the Social Good Summit as something of an antidote to US President Donald Trump.
But Ardern is not only there to be feted as a young woman leader with a baby.
The second goal she listed was more serious - it was to promote New Zealand values on the world stage. By that she meant trade, as every leader before her has.
Today she will sit in the UN General Assembly and watch US President Donald Trump deliver his latest verdict on the state of world affairs.
There is, as rarely seen before, an increasing rift developing between the US and countries such as New Zealand across a range of areas from trade deals and tariffs to climate change and Iran.
There is also concern it will escalate and is forcing countries such as New Zealand to side with Europe over the USA more and more - when they would prefer not to have to choose a side at all.
Nonetheless, Ardern has continued to plug away with her message about the strength of multilateral solutions and free trade.
A reminder of how important the UN could be was in the room - former Labour leader David Shearer was in New York to talk to leaders about the UN's mission in South Sudan that he leads. It has just had budget cuts as the US pulls back funding from the UN.
Her public events are about peace and climate change, but her one-on-one meetings focus on business and trade. She will meet several European leaders she has not yet met, and some of the CPTPP leaders. Trade will be the primary topic.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the UNGA side meeting at the United Nations in New York on Partnering to Address Acute Food Insecurity. Photo / Supplied
Across town from the UN on Fifth Avenue the golden Trump Tower glows.
Trump is staying there for his few days in New York and will travel across town for his meetings at the UN. The leaders he will meet include CPTPP member Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
When Ardern was asked whether Trump himself was one of the challenges to multilateralism and the world order, Ardern did not say yes.
But she didn't say no either - and she made it obvious that she was not saying no.
As she said to those businesspeople, New Zealand is a trading nation and it relies on the rules of the game.
She also added to the list of areas in which New Zealand differed from Trump - rejecting Trump's call for leaders to sign up to a global war on drugs.
A wary Ardern clearly preferred a home-baked solution to drug use.
That's no push over.
But when Ardern was asked how she had recovered after baby Neve kept she and partner Clarke Gayford awake till 3.30am in their first night in New York, Ardern replied "I'm not sure I have".
It won't be only Neve keeping the PM awake at night.
What's happening in New York:
Overnight:
PM appeared on the Today Show and gave the keynote speech at the opening of Climate Week and a statement at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit. She attends President Trump's reception at about 11am NZ Time (Tuesday)
