Fact-Checking President Trump’s Davos Speech

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 5 min read 100% complete by Linda QiuJanuary 21, 2026 at 08:14 PM

AI Summary

long article 5 min

In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, President Trump made several misleading statements. He falsely claimed the U.S. gave Greenland back to Denmark after World War II, distorting the nature of a wartime defense pact that granted the U.S. military base rights but not sovereignty. Trump also attacked the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and repeated previously debunked claims about the economy and his own record. Fact-checkers noted the Greenland claim misrepresented the historical agreement, which explicitly recognized Danish sovereignty.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Danish Institute for International Studies 40% Stanford University 40% Steven Press ×250% Mikkel Runge Olesen ×250% North Atlantic Treaty Organization ×260% World War II ×360% United States ×470% World Economic Forum ×270% Davos, Switzerland 70% Denmark ×670% Greenland ×880% Donald Trump ×790%

Keywords

president trump 90% fact-checking 90% misleading statements 80% greenland 80% davos 70% north atlantic treaty organization 70% u.s. foreign policy 60% sovereignty 60% world war ii 50% denmark 50%