Fact check: Five false claims Trump made in one meeting with Erdogan
Trump’s Meeting with Erdogan: A Closer Look at Five Unfounded Assertions
Fact check – During a press gathering on Tuesday ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined President Donald Trump as the American leader addressed reporters. In this exchange, Trump advanced several statements that do not hold up to scrutiny, particularly regarding Greenland, his record on international conflicts, and economic figures.
The Greenland Misconception
One of the most prominent errors concerned Greenland, the semi-autonomous territory belonging to Denmark. Trump renewed his call for American control over the region while asserting that the island is “surrounded by China’s ships and Russian ships.” This assertion lacks any factual foundation.
Trump said Greenland is “surrounded by China’s ships and Russian ships.”
Multiple sources have contradicted this claim. Independent analysts, representatives from Nordic nations, Greenlandic citizens and officials, Danish military leadership, and American government figures have all dismissed the idea. Danish media outlet TV 2 reported last month that the commander of Denmark’s Arctic military forces stated they typically observe no Chinese or Russian vessels in Greenland’s vicinity.
P. Whitney Lackenbauer, an Arctic security specialist at Canada’s Trent University, characterized Trump’s assertion as “completely invented” during a January interview with CNN. He confirmed in a Tuesday email that this assessment “remains inaccurate.” While classified intelligence might reveal occasional maritime presence, such isolated instances would not justify describing Greenland as “surrounded.”
Questioning the “Eight Wars” Narrative
Trump reiterated another recurring assertion: “You know, I settled eight wars.” This tally contains considerable inaccuracies. Two entries on his list represent situations that never qualified as actual wars during his presidency—a diplomatic disagreement between Egypt and Ethiopia, and an unclear dispute involving Serbia and Kosovo.
Furthermore, the Rwanda-Democratic Republic of Congo conflict appears on the list despite remaining unresolved even after a Trump-brokered peace accord. The Israel-Hamas war is included, yet Israel maintains near-daily military operations in Gaza despite a ceasefire arrangement mediated by the United States. The 2025 Israel-Iran confrontation is also counted, though Israel subsequently participated alongside the US in launching another conflict against Iran in 2026.
Ukraine Aid: Exaggerated Figures
Regarding Ukrainian assistance, Trump claimed that “when Biden was here, he gave them hundreds of billions of dollars worth of equipment.” This representation significantly overstates the actual amount. The Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research organization monitoring global support for Ukraine, documented that the United States committed approximately $74 billion in military assistance from late January 2022 through April 2026. When financial and humanitarian contributions are included, the total reaches roughly $132 billion—substantially less than “hundreds of billions.”
The $19.2 Trillion Investment Claim
Trump also repeated his assertion that “we have $19 trillion, $19.2 trillion to be exact, being invested in the United States.” He emphasized that this sum represents only the initial twelve months of his current term, suggesting the figure has grown considerably after nearly eighteen months.
Trump said, “we have $19 trillion, $19.2 trillion to be exact, being invested in the United States.”
This figure proves to be inaccurate. The White House website itself reported “$10.6 trillion” in “major investment announcements” during this administration, which already represented an overstatement. A comprehensive CNN investigation published in October revealed that the White House counted numerous vague commitments—many relating to “bilateral trade” or general “economic exchange” rather than genuine investment in American territory. Federal statistics released last month indicated that new foreign direct investment in the US totaled approximately $232 billion in 2025 alone.
Additional Assertions
Two other claims surfaced during the meeting. Trump revived his long-standing contention that the 2020 presidential election was “rigged,” despite extensive evidence to the contrary. He also mentioned Greenland once more, reiterating his desire for American sovereignty over the territory.
These statements, delivered in the context of international diplomacy, demonstrate a pattern of making assertions that exceed available evidence. While some claims may contain partial truths, the overall accuracy of Trump’s remarks during this meeting warrants careful examination by both media and the public.