AP found Trump’s claims on oil reserves were significantly higher than available figures.
Drug seizure data did not establish his claim that 97% was stopped.
US officials and experts reported depleted stocks of several advanced munitions.
Did Trump Get It Wrong ? His Oil, Drug And Military Claims At The UN Fact-Checked
Trump defended US military action and policies at the UN as AP examined his claims on oil, drugs, munitions and artificial intelligence
Summary
US President Donald Trump used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to defend his administration’s policies, highlight American military strength and speak about conflicts involving Iran, Ukraine and other countries. He also discussed oil, drug trafficking, artificial intelligence and a new security arrangement involving Greenland.
Trump's address came as the US remains involved in a war with Iran that has continued for more than six months. He defended the decision to launch military action and said he faced a choice between reaching a settlement with Tehran and further attacks. He also used the speech to highlight what he described as economic and domestic achievements.
Trump’s Message At The UN
Trump warned that Iran could face “annihilation” if a deal was not reached. He said he had a “big decision to make” over whether to renew attacks, while suggesting that Tehran could still agree to negotiations.
He also stressed US military power, saying the country had “unmatched military might” and that the US had more munitions than it could possibly use. Trump said American weapons were being produced at unprecedented levels.
On drug trafficking, Trump claimed that US strikes against cartel boats had destroyed 97% of drugs entering through the ocean and sea. He also spoke about oil, claiming that the US and Venezuela together had more than 60% of the world's oil.
Trump criticised Cuba and spoke about the pressure facing its government. He also proposed referring to artificial intelligence as “super intelligence”. He pointed to a new US-Denmark-Greenland security arrangement involving greater American involvement in Arctic and North Atlantic security.
AP Fact-checks Trump’s Munitions And Oil Claims
The Associated Press found that several of Trump's claims were false or misleading. On US military stockpiles, AP cited US military, NATO and Middle East officials who said weapons inventories had been reduced.
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The shortages particularly involve advanced missile interceptors, including Patriot and THAAD systems. AP reported that officials had described the shortage of advanced missile interceptors in Europe as “beyond critical”. Experts have also said rebuilding some depleted inventories could take years.
Trump's claim about oil also did not match available figures. AP reported that even using the largest figures for US and Venezuelan proven reserves, the combined resources would account for about 22% of the world's nearly 1.6 trillion barrels of proven oil reserves, rather than more than 60%
Drug Seizure Data Does Not Show 97% Of Drugs Stopped
The report also examined Trump's claim that US operations had destroyed 97% of drugs entering through maritime routes. Experts said such a figure cannot be established because authorities cannot know how much illegal drugs are never intercepted.
US Customs and Border Protection data cited by the White House showed that drug seizures in the coastal and interior region were 98.2% lower in November 2025 than in July 2025. Report noted that this was a comparison of two specific months and that seizure data measures interdiction activity, not the total amount of drugs being trafficked.
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Dessa Bergen-Cico, a Syracuse University professor who studies drug trafficking, said seizure data cannot establish the actual volume of trafficking or how much goes uncaught. AP has previously fact-checked Trump's claims about wars he said he had settled and the scale of investment commitments announced during his administration.
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