Paddy Gower, Mark Richardson clash over Jacinda Ardern's 'kool-aid'

Jacinda Ardern swept on to the world stage with her arrival in New York for her first speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

The Prime Minister also appeared as a guest on The Today Show, gave the keynote speech at the opening of UN Climate Week, and had bilateral talks with Austria, Ireland and Columbia.

She'll also be interviewed by CNN's Christiane Amanpour, appear as a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and take part in a New York Times panel on women and leadership with former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Newshub national correspondent Paddy Gower called Ms Ardern a "political phenomenon".

"We're just starting to see it on the international stage now," he says.

"This is a bombastic arrival by a world leader. The Today Show - millions of viewers this morning with a New Zealand flag behind her talking about a positive message and about motherhood and leadership.

"I used to trail around with John Key where he would battle and fight for moments like this. It's being handed to her on a plate. You can tell she's enjoying it. You can tell Clarke [Gayford] is enjoying it. And I think it's great and we've got to embrace it."

But there was one person who wasn't enjoying - or embracing - it.

The AM Show host Mark Richardson said that right now Ms Ardern's "not doing a good job".

"Excuse me for not getting carried away with that imagery. All I'm seeing right now is inactivity. I'm seeing knee-jerk reactions when they do make activity, and I'm seeing hopeless idealism," he exclaimed.

"This is not the first time that a female that's just had a baby's been able to hold down or try to conduct a very important job."

However Gower said he's seeing something different - a successful leader standing up for herself.

"I'm more than happy to have Jacinda Ardern's kool-aid," he told Richardson.

"I think she's doing a great job. She has basically just told Donald Trump to get stuffed on drug policy and good on her. I'm stoked."

Newshub.