US President Donald Trump took the stage on the United Nations Common Meeting (UNGA) on Tuesday, delivering a sweeping speech that touched on overseas coverage, immigration, local weather change and extra. He attacked mates and rivals alike, whereas making controversial – and sometimes factually inaccurate – assertions.
Right here’s a take a look at a few of his key feedback and arguments – and the way they maintain up in opposition to the information.
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 and not using a teleprompter, as a result of the teleprompter shouldn’t be working,” Trump mentioned.
“I really feel very pleased to be up right here with you, however. And that approach, you communicate extra from the guts. I can solely say that whoever’s working this teleprompter is in massive bother.”
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 overseas minister till earlier this 12 months.
‘You’re destroying your international locations’
Trump mentioned that nations that had been extra welcoming of immigrants than the US beneath him had been “destroying” their international locations.
“They’re being destroyed. Europe is in deep trouble. They’ve been invaded by a pressure of unlawful aliens like no person’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.
“It’s a must to finish it now – I can let you know. I’m actually good at these things. Your international locations are going to hell.”
“As soon as we began detaining and deporting everybody who crossed the border, and eradicating unlawful aliens from the US, 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 line with 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 likely one of the lowest month-to-month totals in many years, however it isn’t near zero.
Strain on Russia: ‘Europe has to step it up’
Trump criticised Washington’s NATO allies for persevering with to purchase Russian power, whereas urging Europe to step up stress on Moscow over its warfare on Ukraine.
“China and India are the first funders of the continuing warfare by persevering with to buy Russian oil, however inexcusably, even NATO international locations haven’t minimize off a lot Russian power and Russian power 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 really 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 warfare 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 really elevated its imports of Russian LNG by 9 p.c in 2024, in contrast with the 12 months earlier than.
In the meantime, the US additionally imports a variety of chemical substances 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 warfare.
“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 Nineteen Thirties, they mentioned international cooling will kill the world,” Trump mentioned.
“Then they mentioned international warming will kill the world, however then it began getting cooler. So now, they simply name it local weather change as a result of that approach, they’ll’t miss. Local weather change – as a result of if it goes increased or decrease, regardless of the hell occurs, there’s local weather change.”
“It’s the best con job ever perpetrated on the world, in my view. Local weather change, it doesn’t matter what occurs, you’re concerned in that. No extra international warming, no extra international cooling. All of those predictions made by the United Nations and plenty of others, typically for unhealthy causes, had been improper.”
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 international locations to current their up to date decarbonisation targets on the UNGA, aiming to revive momentum within the international struggle in opposition to local weather change.
Scientific proof – together with that touted by elements of Trump’s personal administration – shows that international 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 world peacemaker.
“I ended seven wars. And in all circumstances, 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 warfare 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 unhealthy that I needed to do these items as a substitute of the United Nations doing them,” he mentioned.
“And sadly, in all circumstances, 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 international locations have disputed his claims. India, particularly, has publicly, and repeatedly, insisted that its Might conflict with Pakistan ended by means of 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 isn’t 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 energy, saying it helped him dealer an finish to the Israel-Iran army clashes in June.
“I prolonged a pledge of full cooperation in trade 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 every little thing,” Trump mentioned.
“We hate to make use of them, however we did one thing that for 22 years individuals needed to do. With Iran’s nuclear enrichment capability demolished, I instantly brokered an finish to the 12-day warfare, because it’s referred to as, between Israel and Iran, with each side agreeing to struggle… 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 injury was sustained throughout the strikes. He added that authorities had evacuated all three nuclear websites that had been bombed, upfront.
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 will’t neglect October seventh, can we?,” he requested, referring to the 2023 assault by Hamas on southern Israel, after which Israel launched a brutal warfare 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 a substitute of giving in to Hamas’s ransom calls for, those that need peace must 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 warfare in Gaza. “We’ve 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, in addition to 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 warfare 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 are going to 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 no less than 17 individuals.
“Let’s put it this fashion: Individuals don’t like taking massive a great deal of medication in boats any extra,” Trump mentioned.
“There aren’t too many boats which can 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 nearly stopped medication coming into our nation by sea. We name them the water medication,” he added.
Consultants have cast doubt on the legality of US assaults on overseas boats in worldwide waters. Knowledge from each the UN and the US itself recommend that Venezuela shouldn’t be a serious supply of cocaine coming within the US, as Trump has claimed.
Trump continued: “I’ve additionally designated a number of savage drug cartels as overseas terrorist organisations, together with two bloodthirsty transnational gangs, in all probability the worst gangs wherever on the planet, MS13 and Tren de Aragua.”
“They’re the enemies of all humanity. And for that reason, we’ve just lately begun utilizing the supreme energy of the US 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 group has additionally contradicted claims of ties between Venezuela’s authorities and the gang.
“We’ve no alternative; can’t let it occur. They’re destroying – I consider we misplaced 300,000 individuals final 12 months to medication – 300,000 – fentanyl and different medication. Every boat that we sink carries medication that will kill greater than 25,000 People. We is not going to let that occur,” Trump mentioned.
In actuality, most fentanyl within the US is trafficked by means of Mexico [PDF], in accordance with the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
And in accordance with the US Workplace on Medicine and Crime, coca cultivation, the premise of cocaine manufacturing, is concentrated in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, with US-bound trafficking routes working largely by means of Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, not Venezuela.
