For someone who appears acutely sensitive to slights, the laughter that greeted U.S. President Donald Trump's speech at the United Nations General Assembly this week must hurt. Trump has often claimed that America has been laughed at by its adversaries, but he was speaking metaphorically. The spontaneous reaction to his comments Tuesday was real, even though U.S. foreign policy is no laughing matter.

Trump's claim that he had made more progress than "almost any other administration in the history of our country" was greeted with laughs. Trump's startled response was "I didn't expect that reaction, but that's OK." Later, he claimed that his boast in the speech "was meant to get some laughter." Trump is known for many things, but a sense of humor — especially one that makes him the target — is not among them.

Significantly, the audience was not laughing at his foreign policy. In fact, with rare exception, they were likely dismayed by his remarks. The message he delivered was consistent with that of previous speeches and the overall thrust of his thinking about America's role in the world. It was a strident defense of sovereignty, a concept that is sacrosanct to the president and his foreign policy team.