US President Donald Trump took the stage on the United Nations Basic Meeting (UNGA) on Tuesday, delivering a sweeping speech that touched on international coverage, immigration, local weather change and extra. He attacked buddies and rivals alike, whereas making controversial – and sometimes factually inaccurate – assertions.
Right here’s a have a look at a few of his key feedback and arguments – and the way they maintain up in opposition to the details.
Damaged teleprompter
Trump kicked off his speech with a lighthearted remark a couple of non-functional teleprompter, noting that he didn’t thoughts that it was not working.
“I don’t thoughts making this speech with out a teleprompter, as a result of the teleprompter isn’t working,” Trump mentioned.
“I really feel very blissful to be up right here with you, nonetheless. And that approach, you converse extra from the center. I can solely say that whoever’s working this teleprompter is in huge hassle.”
However a UN official mentioned the teleprompter was being operated by the White Home.
And after Trump completed talking, UNGA President Annalena Baerbock mentioned: “As we’re receiving queries, I wish to guarantee you that, don’t fear, the UN teleprompters are working completely.”
Baerbock was Germany’s international minister till earlier this yr.
‘You’re destroying your nations’
Trump mentioned that nations that had been extra welcoming of immigrants than the US underneath him had been “destroying” their nations.
“They’re being destroyed. Europe is in deep trouble. They’ve been invaded by a pressure of unlawful aliens like no one’s ever seen earlier than. Unlawful aliens are pouring into Europe.”
Trump then referred to his administration’s insurance policies in the direction of migrants and asylum seekers.
“You must finish it now – I can let you know. I’m actually good at these things. Your nations are going to hell.”
“As soon as we began detaining and deporting everybody who crossed the border, and eradicating unlawful aliens from the USA, they merely stopped coming,” he mentioned.
Earlier in his speech, he additionally mentioned that in “4 months in a row, the variety of unlawful aliens admitted and coming into our nation has been zero”.
Trump’s claims about undocumented migrants – a few of whom cross the border searching for asylum – whom he calls “unlawful”, are an exaggeration.
In response to US Customs and Border Safety, nationwide apprehensions at border crossings dropped from about 60,600 in August 2024 to roughly 8,200 in July 2025. This is without doubt one of the lowest month-to-month totals in many years, however it’s not near zero.
Strain on Russia: ‘Europe has to step it up’
Trump criticised Washington’s NATO allies for persevering with to purchase Russian vitality, whereas urging Europe to step up strain on Moscow over its struggle on Ukraine.
“China and India are the first funders of the continuing struggle by persevering with to buy Russian oil, however inexcusably, even NATO nations haven’t lower off a lot Russian vitality and Russian vitality merchandise,” Trump mentioned.
As Al Jazeera reported in August, after the US doubled its 25 p.c tariffs on Indian imports to 50 p.c as punishment for New Delhi’s continued oil purchases from Russia, the European Union truly trades much more with Moscow.
The EU’s commerce with Russia now – at 67.5 billion euros ($77.9bn) in 2024 – is a couple of quarter of what it was in 2021, earlier than Russia’s full-fledged struggle on Ukraine started (257.5 billion euros ($297.4bn). However that is nonetheless greater than India’s whole commerce with Russia in 2024-25, which was worth $68.7bn.
And Europe truly elevated its imports of Russian LNG by 9 p.c in 2024, in contrast with the yr earlier than.
In the meantime, the US additionally imports a spread of chemical compounds from Russia. Complete Russia-US commerce in 2024 stood at $5.2bn, in accordance with the US Commerce Consultant’s Workplace, although the numbers are down considerably from 2021, when their commerce in items stood at $36bn.
Trump warned that the US is ready to impose a brand new spherical of tariffs on Russia if no settlement is reached to finish the struggle.
“For these tariffs to be efficient, European nations – all of you’re gathered right here proper now – must be a part of us in adopting the very same measures,” Trump mentioned.
“I imply, you’re a lot nearer to this. See, we have now an ocean in between. You’re proper there, and Europe has to step it up. They’ll’t be doing what they’re doing,” he added.
‘The best con job ever’
Trump additionally returned to his longstanding criticism of local weather science.
“If you happen to look again years in the past, within the Twenties and the Thirties, they mentioned world cooling will kill the world,” Trump mentioned.
“Then they mentioned world warming will kill the world, however then it began getting cooler. So now, they only name it local weather change as a result of that approach, they will’t miss. Local weather change – as a result of if it goes greater or decrease, regardless of the hell occurs, there’s local weather change.”
“It’s the best con job ever perpetrated on the world, for my part. Local weather change, it doesn’t matter what occurs, you’re concerned in that. No extra world warming, no extra world cooling. All of those predictions made by the United Nations and lots of others, typically for dangerous causes, had been unsuitable.”
Trump at UNGA: Local weather change— it is the best con-job ever perpetrated on the world. pic.twitter.com/0vOknp9M2O
— Mintel World (@mintelworld) September 23, 2025
“If you happen to don’t get away from this inexperienced rip-off, your nation goes to fail, and I’m actually good at predicting issues,” he added.
His remarks got here because the UN urged nations to current their up to date decarbonisation targets on the UNGA, aiming to revive momentum within the world battle in opposition to local weather change.
Scientific proof – together with that touted by components of Trump’s personal administration – shows that world warming, together with its impacts on rising temperatures, shifting oceans, excessive climate and wildfires, is unfolding quicker than beforehand anticipated.
‘I ended seven wars’
Trump solid himself as a worldwide peacemaker.
“I ended seven wars. And in all instances, they had been raging, with numerous hundreds of individuals being killed. This consists of Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, the Congo and Rwanda – a vicious, violent struggle that was – Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Trump mentioned.
“There’s by no means been something like that. Very honoured to have carried out it. It’s too dangerous that I needed to do this stuff as an alternative of the United Nations doing them,” he mentioned.
“And sadly, in all instances, the United Nations didn’t even attempt to assist in any of them… All I acquired from the United Nations was an escalator that, on the best way up, stopped proper within the center.”
Although Trump has taken credit score for serving to to pause the conflicts he listed, some nations have disputed his claims. India, specifically, has publicly, and repeatedly, insisted that its Could conflict with Pakistan ended by bilateral conversations between the militaries of the South Asian neighbours, not any US mediation.
Nonetheless, Trump’s supporters have dubbed him the “peace president” and argued that he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.
The UN has not been there for us as a rustic. For months, @POTUS brokered peace in main world conflicts with none assist being supplied to him.
The UN has large potential, however it’s not residing as much as it. Strongly worded letters are simply empty phrases. Actions finish wars. pic.twitter.com/fhvLmJceQK
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) September 23, 2025
On Iran strike and peace push
Trump pointed to the US strike on Iran’s nuclear websites as proof of US power, saying it helped him dealer an finish to the Israel-Iran army clashes in June.
“I prolonged a pledge of full cooperation in change for a suspension of Iran’s nuclear programme,” Trump mentioned.
“The regime’s reply was to proceed their fixed threats to their neighbours and US pursuits all through the area.”
“And three months in the past in Operation Midnight Hammer, seven American B-2 bombers dropped the fourteen 30,000-pound-each (13,600kg) bombs on Iran’s key nuclear facility, completely obliterating all the things,” Trump mentioned.
“We hate to make use of them, however we did one thing that for 22 years individuals wished to do. With Iran’s nuclear enrichment capability demolished, I instantly brokered an finish to the 12-day struggle, because it’s referred to as, between Israel and Iran, with either side agreeing to battle… now not,” he added.
At the moment, Mehdi Mohammadi, an adviser to the chairman of the Iranian parliament, said that the US attack was not stunning and that no irreversible harm was sustained through the strikes. He added that authorities had evacuated all three nuclear websites that had been bombed, prematurely.
Trump says recognising Palestinian state ‘rewards Hamas’
Trump condemned mounting efforts to recognise a Palestinian state, accusing Hamas of blocking peace and demanding the discharge of captives being held in Gaza.
Simply this week, Australia, Andorra, Belgium, Canada, France, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Portugal and the UK have recognised the state of Palestine.
“Hamas has repeatedly rejected cheap provides to make peace,” Trump mentioned.
“We are able to’t overlook October seventh, can we?,” he requested, referring to the 2023 assault by Hamas on southern Israel, after which Israel launched a brutal struggle on the Gaza Strip.
“Now, as if to encourage continued battle, a few of this physique is searching for to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state. The rewards can be too nice for Hamas terrorists for his or her atrocities,” Trump added.
“This might have been solved so way back. However as an alternative of giving in to Hamas’s ransom calls for, those that need peace ought to be united with one message: Launch the hostages now,” he added.
Hamas on Tuesday refuted any responsibility for the failure to achieve a deal to finish the struggle in Gaza. “We’ve got by no means been an impediment to reaching an settlement,” it mentioned in a press release.
“The US administration, the mediators and the world know that Netanyahu is the only real obstructionist in all makes an attempt to achieve an settlement,” it added, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hamas has mentioned it’s prepared for a truce that may result in the discharge of captives and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, awe nicely as a withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza, however Netanyahu has refused to decide to a full withdrawal.
This month, Israel launched a floor invasion to occupy Gaza Metropolis, killing a whole lot of Palestinians and displacing tens of hundreds. In all, Israel’s struggle on Gaza since October 2023 has killed greater than 60,000 Palestinians, and its restrictions on the entry of meals and assist into the Palestinian territory have spawned a man-made famine.
On drug traffickers: ‘We’ll blow you out of existence’
Trump defended the controversial US military strikes on boats carrying what he alleges are Venezuelan drug traffickers, which have killed at the very least 17 individuals.
“Let’s put it this manner: Folks don’t like taking huge a great deal of medication in boats any extra,” Trump mentioned.
“There aren’t too many boats which might be travelling on the seas by Venezuela. They have a tendency to not wish to journey in a short time any extra. And we’ve just about stopped medication coming into our nation by sea. We name them the water medication,” he added.
Specialists have cast doubt on the legality of US assaults on international boats in worldwide waters. Knowledge from each the UN and the US itself recommend that Venezuela isn’t a significant supply of cocaine coming within the US, as Trump has claimed.
Trump continued: “I’ve additionally designated a number of savage drug cartels as international terrorist organisations, together with two bloodthirsty transnational gangs, most likely the worst gangs wherever on the earth, MS13 and Tren de Aragua.”
“They’re the enemies of all humanity. And because of this, we’ve lately begun utilizing the supreme energy of the USA army to destroy Venezuelan terrorists and trafficking networks led by [President] Nicolas Maduro.”
The Trump administration has not supplied proof linking Maduro to Tren de Aragua or another drug cartel, and the Venezuelan chief has denied the allegations. The US intelligence neighborhood has additionally contradicted claims of ties between Venezuela’s authorities and the gang.
“We’ve got no alternative; can’t let it occur. They’re destroying – I consider we misplaced 300,000 individuals final yr to medication – 300,000 – fentanyl and different medication. Every boat that we sink carries medication that will kill greater than 25,000 Individuals. We is not going to let that occur,” Trump mentioned.
In actuality, most fentanyl within the US is trafficked by Mexico [PDF], in accordance with the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
And in accordance with the US Workplace on Medicine and Crime, coca cultivation, the idea of cocaine manufacturing, is concentrated in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, with US-bound trafficking routes working largely by Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, not Venezuela.
