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 pals and rivals alike, whereas making controversial – and infrequently 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 towards the info.
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 just isn’t working,” Trump mentioned.
“I really feel very blissful to be up right here with you, nonetheless. And that means, you converse 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 want 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 international locations’
Trump mentioned that nations that have been extra welcoming of immigrants than the US underneath him have 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.
“You need to finish it now – I can inform you. I’m actually good at these items. 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 america, 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 in search of 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 likely 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 power, whereas urging Europe to step up strain on Moscow over its battle on Ukraine.
“China and India are the first funders of the continued battle 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 % tariffs on Indian imports to 50 % 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 battle on Ukraine started (257.5 billion euros ($297.4bn). However that is nonetheless greater than India’s complete commerce with Russia in 2024-25, which was worth $68.7bn.
And Europe truly elevated its imports of Russian LNG by 9 % in 2024, in contrast with the yr earlier than.
In the meantime, the US additionally imports a spread of chemical substances from Russia. Whole Russia-US commerce in 2024 stood at $5.2bn, in line 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 battle.
“For these tariffs to be efficient, European nations – all of you might be 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’ve got 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 means, they will’t miss. Local weather change – as a result of if it goes larger 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 plenty of others, usually for unhealthy causes, have been flawed.”
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 world struggle towards local weather change.
Scientific proof – together with that touted by elements of Trump’s personal administration – shows that world warming, together with its impacts on rising temperatures, shifting oceans, excessive climate and wildfires, is unfolding sooner than beforehand anticipated.
‘I ended seven wars’
Trump forged himself as a world peacemaker.
“I ended seven wars. And in all circumstances, they have been raging, with numerous 1000’s of individuals being killed. This contains Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, the Congo and Rwanda – a vicious, violent battle 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 finished 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 received 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 Could conflict with Pakistan ended via 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 provided to him.
The UN has large potential, however it’s not dwelling 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 part,” 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 battle, because it’s referred to as, between Israel and Iran, with each side agreeing to struggle… 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 in the course of the strikes. He added that authorities had evacuated all three nuclear websites that have 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 affords 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 battle on the Gaza Strip.
“Now, as if to encourage continued battle, a few of this physique is in search of to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state. The rewards could 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 succeed in a deal to finish the battle in Gaza. “We have now 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 succeed in an settlement,” it added, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hamas has mentioned it’s prepared for a truce that can 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 tons of of Palestinians and displacing tens of 1000’s. In all, Israel’s battle on Gaza since October 2023 has killed greater than 60,000 Palestinians, and its restrictions on the entry of meals and help 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: Folks don’t like taking massive 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 need 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.
Specialists have cast doubt on the legality of US assaults on international boats in worldwide waters. Information from each the UN and the US itself recommend that Venezuela just 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, in all probability the worst gangs anyplace on the planet, 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 america 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 have now no selection; can’t let it occur. They’re destroying – I imagine 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 People. We won’t let that occur,” Trump mentioned.
In actuality, most fentanyl within the US is trafficked via Mexico [PDF], in line with the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
And in line 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 operating largely via Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, not Venezuela.
