During a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, President Donald Trump addressed a range of topics, including his continued interest in acquiring Greenland, his criticism of wind energy, and perceived trade imbalances. He also voiced grievances concerning domestic political figures, including Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Representative Ilhan Omar, and former President Joe Biden.
The U.S. and Greenland
What Trump said: “After the war, which we won, without us, you’d all be speaking German and a little Japanese. After the war, we gave Greenland back to Denmark. How stupid were we to do that? How ungrateful are they now?” He added, “So we want a piece of ice for world protection. And they won’t give it.”
The facts: The United States never held ownership of Greenland. In 1941, an agreement was signed between the U.S. and Denmark—while recognizing Danish sovereignty—allowing the U.S. to establish military bases on the island during World War II to protect it from Nazi Germany. Greenland remains largely covered in ice, as documented by NASA research.
NATO Funding
What Trump said: “We pay for NATO. We paid for many years, until I came along, in my opinion, 100% of NATO, because they weren’t paying their bills.”
China and Wind Energy
What Trump said: “China makes almost all of the wind mills, and yet I haven’t been able to find any wind farms in China… They make them. They sell them for a fortune…But they don’t use them themselves.”
The facts: According to a 2025 report from the Global Wind Energy Council, China accounted for 70% of global wind turbine installations in 2024, with a cumulative electricity capacity exceeding 520 GW—nearly 50% of the world’s total wind power.
Energy Production in Europe
What Trump said: “Germany now generates 22% less electricity than it did in 2017… and the electricity prices are “64% higher.” He also stated, “The United Kingdom produces just 1/3 of the total energy from all sources that it did in 1999.”
The facts: Germany generated 406.9 TWh of electricity in 2025, a 25% decrease from the 546.9 TWh generated in 2017, according to reports from the Fraunhofer Institute. Electricity prices in Germany have increased by 35%, according to the country’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The United Kingdom generated 285 TWh of electricity in 2024, a 25% decrease from the 2000 total, according to UK government data.
Claims of a Stolen Election
What Trump said: “It’s a war that should have never started and it wouldn’t have started if the 2020 US presidential election weren’t rigged. It was a rigged election. Everybody now knows that. They found out. People will soon be prosecuted for what they did.”
The facts: Investigations conducted by Republicans at both the federal and state levels following the 2020 election found no evidence of widespread voter fraud. Trump’s former lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, made unsubstantiated claims of manipulation by Dominion Voting Systems, resulting in a defamation lawsuit and a confidential settlement. Giuliani was subsequently disbarred in New York and Washington, D.C. for repeating false statements about the election.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did President Trump say about Greenland?
President Trump stated that the U.S. “gave Greenland back to Denmark” after winning the war, questioning the decision and expressing a desire to acquire the territory, stating, “So we want a piece of ice for world protection. And they won’t give it.”
What did President Trump claim about NATO funding?
President Trump claimed that the U.S. “paid 100% of NATO” for many years until his administration, asserting that other member nations were not fulfilling their financial obligations.
What did President Trump say about the 2020 election?
President Trump reiterated his claim that the 2020 U.S. presidential election was “rigged,” suggesting that prosecutions would soon follow, despite the lack of evidence supporting these claims.
How might these statements impact international relations and domestic political discourse moving forward?
