Fact-checking Trump's Davos speech: What POTUS said about Iceland, wind farms and China

President Donald Trump addressed the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Wednesday. Several of his claims were fact-checked

Updated on: Jan 22, 2026, 04:00:54 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Trump speech at Davos 2026: President Donald Trump addressed the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Wednesday. The 79-year-old's speech came a day after several contentious statements and economic threats were made during the forum, all arising from tensions between the US and Europe. Trump reiterated his plans to acquire Greenland, but added that he ‘won’t use force'.

President Donald Trump speaks during the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos (AP)

However, Trump made several false claims during his speech. Here's a quick fact-check:

2020 election claims

While speaking about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Trump repeated his false claim that the 2020 election was ‘rigged’.

"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," he said.

"Can't have rigged elections. You need strong borders, strong elections and ideally, a good press," he added. "I always say it — strong borders, strong elections, free, fair elections and a fair media. The media is terrible. It's very crooked, it's very biased, terrible, but someday it'll straighten out, because it's losing all credibility."

Iceland or Greenland?

Trump then appeared to confuse Greenland with Iceland. He repeatedly said Iceland when talking about the artic territory he has spoken about acquiring. The mix-up started when the president told the audience that all he is asking for ‘is a piece of ice cold and poorly located, that can play a vital role in world peace and world protection’.

"I'm helping NATO, and until the last few days, when I told them about Iceland, they loved me," Trump said.

The White House is yet to address this confusion.

China's wind farms

President Trump falsely says China has no wind farms. “China makes almost all of the windmills, and yet, I haven't been able to find any wind farms in China.”

As per latest estimates, China has about 44% of the world’s wind farm capacity, ranking No 1 globally.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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