Trump's UN speech highlights American power, AI, and sparks walkout; fact-checked for claims

Donald Trump recently addressed the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, 2026, delivering a speech that emphasized American power, particularly its military might, and touched upon the topic of artificial intelligence. He asserted that the United States would reject any global attempts to control AI and even suggested renaming it "superintelligence." Trump also spoke on various international conflicts, defending U.S. military actions in places like Iran and Venezuela.

The address garnered controversy, notably sparking walkouts by the Cuban and Iranian delegations. Cuban representatives departed after Trump labeled their nation an "absolutely failed state," while Iranian delegates exited during his remarks concerning military strikes and threats of "annihilation" against Iran.

Fact-checking of Trump's statements during the speech highlighted several misleading or false claims. These included inaccuracies regarding the effectiveness of U.S. drug interdiction efforts, the state of American munitions stockpiles, and his dismissal of climate change concerns. Critics also pointed out that warnings about AI dangers extend beyond the groups Trump associated them with.