During a wide-ranging address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, former President Donald Trump presented several controversial assertions that have undergone rigorous verification analysis. The speech, exceeding one hour in duration, covered topics ranging from territorial ambitions to international defense spending and renewable energy policies.
Regarding Greenland, Trump characterized his desire to acquire the autonomous Danish territory as a “small ask” while questioning America’s historical decision to “give Greenland back to Denmark” after World War II. Historical records indicate this characterization misrepresents actual events. In 1933, an international court precedent to the ICJ formally recognized Danish sovereignty over Greenland. The 1941 agreement between the U.S. and Danish representatives authorized American military presence to prevent Nazi occupation but explicitly did not transfer territorial sovereignty.
On NATO contributions, Trump asserted the United States funded “virtually 100%” of the alliance while claiming member nations now pay “5%” of GDP. Defense expenditure data reveals different figures: U.S. spending constituted approximately 70% of total NATO defense expenditure in recent years, declining to an estimated 62% in 2025 as all members met the 2% GDP benchmark for the first time. The referenced 5% target represents a long-term objective for 2035, with no nation currently exceeding 4.5%.
The former president additionally claimed the U.S. “never gotten anything” from NATO, despite the alliance invoking Article 5 collective defense specifically following the 9/11 attacks. Multiple NATO members, including Denmark which suffered high per-capita casualties, contributed substantially to subsequent military operations in Afghanistan.
Trump’s criticism of wind energy included claims that China, despite manufacturing turbines, lacked operational wind farms. This contradicts documented evidence showing China operates the world’s largest wind farm in Gansu Province (visible from space) and leads global wind energy generation at 997 terawatt-hours in 2024—more than double U.S. output.
The speech also inaccurately characterized UK North Sea oil taxation, claiming companies surrendered “92% of revenues.” Actual taxation involves a 30% corporation tax plus 10% supplementary charge on profits, with a temporary windfall tax raising the total levy to 78% on profits—not revenues.
Finally, Trump’s repeated assertion of securing “$18 trillion” in investment commitments lacks publicly verifiable evidence. Official White House tracking data from November 2024 documents $9.6 trillion in pledged investments, including a $1.4 trillion decade-long commitment from the UAE. Experts note these figures represent pledges rather than realized investments, with some already facing complications due to diplomatic tensions over Greenland.