On 20 September 2006, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez delivered a speech to the United Nations General Assembly damning U.S. President George W. Bush, with particular focus on foreign policy. The speech received international praise due in part to the strong worldwide unpopularity of the policies of the George W. Bush administration. While the speech was received with sustained applause in the General Assembly, and even from some in the United States, particularly on the left wing, it was met with abrasive bipartisan criticism by many public and elected officials in the United States. Despite the criticism that this speech attracted from U.S. officials, Chavez' UN speech came at a time when then President George W. Bush's approval rating was at an all-time low among the American public.