US President Donald Trump delivered a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, making several claims that require scrutiny. One of his assertions was that he had "settled eight wars" since taking office. A review of his claims reveals that this figure is an exaggeration. Trump's list of conflicts included situations that were not actually wars during his tenure, such as a diplomatic dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over a dam project.
Trump's claim of ending eight wars includes the conflicts between Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, India and Pakistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the war in Gaza. However, some of these situations were not wars, and others have not ended despite peace agreements. For instance, the war in Gaza has seen continued attacks by Israel, and the conflict between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo has not ended. Trump's claim of ending a war between Israel and Iran in 2025 is also disputed, as Israel subsequently joined the US in starting another war against Iran in 2026.
Trump also made claims about global warming, stating that dire warnings about artificial intelligence and global warming have proven false. However, his assertions about global warming are inaccurate. The phrase "global warming" remains in use, and climate scientists use both "global warming" and "climate change" to describe different aspects of the issue. A 2023 report from the UN's climate change panel stated that human activities have caused global warming, with the global surface temperature reaching 1.1°C above 1850-1900 levels in 2011-2020.
Trump's claims about global warming are further disputed by data from the UN's World Meteorological Organization, which reported that the past 11 years have been the 11 warmest on record. The years 2023, 2024, and 2025 were the three warmest years on record, according to NASA. Experts also disagree with Trump's assertion that "nobody" has died from the impacts of a warming world, with estimates suggesting that millions of people have died and 250,000 additional deaths per year are expected between 2030 and 2050.
Trump also made claims about investment in the US, stating that he has "secured commitments for $21 trillion in new investments from all over the planet." However, this figure has no apparent basis, and the White House has not been able to substantiate it. The White House's own website claims that there have been "$11.2 trillion" in "major investment announcements" during Trump's second term, which is significantly lower than Trump's claim.
A detailed review of the White House's investment claims found that the list included trillions in vague investment pledges, pledges that were about "bilateral trade" or "economic exchange" rather than investment in the US, and vague statements that didn't even rise to the level of pledges. Federal data shows that new foreign direct investment in the US was about $232 billion in 2025. Trump's claims about investment have been disputed, and it appears that his figure of $21 trillion is an exaggeration.
Trump also defended the Iran war, claiming that the US has more munitions than it could ever possibly use and is building them at levels never seen before. However, reports from the federal inspector general and the Congressional Budget Office suggest that the war with Iran has depleted US munitions levels, with the inspector general's report stating that the munitions expenditure has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply.
Key points
- Trump's claim of ending eight wars is an exaggeration
- Trump's assertions about global warming are inaccurate
- Trump's claim of $21 trillion in investment has no apparent basis
