Fact-Checking Trump's Key Claims from Davos

Tue Feb 03 2026 01:30:17 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A closer look at President Trump's recent speech at the World Economic Forum, where he made several controversial statements about NATO, Greenland, and China's wind energy.

In his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Trump made several claims that have been fact-checked and shown to be misleading or incorrect. These include assertions regarding the U.S. paying for NATO, the history of Greenland's ownership, and the status of wind energy development in China. The analysis reveals the factual inaccuracies behind his statements.

In a free-wheeling speech to world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, President Trump made a series of contested claims.

Trump touched on his desire to obtain Greenland from Denmark, which he referred to as a 'small ask', America's contribution to NATO, and wind energy in China. His address, which lasted for more than an hour, contained a number of false assertions which have been scrutinized.

Did the US 'give Greenland back' after World War Two?

For weeks, Trump has spoken about his desire to acquire Greenland, a largely self-governing territory of Denmark. He claimed at Davos that after World War Two, 'we gave Greenland back to Denmark', adding, 'How stupid were we to do that?' However, it was not America's to give back. An international court in 1933 ruled that Greenland belonged to Denmark.

In 1941, following Denmark's surrender to Germany, the US and Danish representatives signed an agreement allowing the US to defend Greenland, which led to the construction of US bases on the island. However, this agreement did not involve a transfer of sovereignty, meaning Greenland never became US territory.

Is the US paying for 'virtually 100%' of NATO's defence?

Trump criticized NATO and claimed that, 'the United States was paying for virtually 100% of NATO.' His assertion is misleading; US spending on defence has accounted for about 70% of the total spent by NATO countries in recent years. This is projected to decrease to around 62% by 2025 as more countries commit to spending at least 2% of their GDP on defence for the first time.

Currently, no NATO member spends 5% on defense as Trump suggests, as the 5% target is a long-term aim to be achieved by 2035.

Has the US gotten nothing back from NATO?

Trump claimed the US 'never gotten anything' from NATO, yet the collective defense agreement (Article 5) states that an armed attack against one NATO member is considered an attack against all. The US invoked Article 5 after the 9/11 attacks, and NATO nations contributed troops to the US-led war in Afghanistan.

Does China have no wind farms?

Trump also criticized wind energy, claiming he had not 'been able to find any wind farms in China.' In fact, China has one of the largest wind farms in the world, located in Gansu, which is visible from space and generates more wind energy than any other country.

Does the UK take 92% of North Sea oil revenue?

Concerning North Sea oil, Trump inaccurately stated, 'They [the UK] take 92% of the revenues.' Oil companies operating in North Sea pay a corporation tax of 30% plus a supplementary rate—totaling 78% tax on profits, not revenues.

Has Trump secured $18 trillion worth of investments for the US?

Lastly, Trump touted securing commitments for '$18 trillion' in investments, a claim with no public evidence to support such high figures. A White House tracker indicates $9.6 trillion in investments under Trump, with many figures being pledges that may not materialize.

As the analysis shows, President Trump's assertions are often misrepresentative or unfounded. The ongoing scrutiny reflects the need for clarity and factual accuracy in political discourse.