80th UN General Assembly Claims: A Comprehensive Fact-Check

Claim #1: "UN Moved 80th Session from NYC to Geneva"

In the weeks before the General Assembly, viral social media posts claimed that the United Nations had moved its 80th session from New York City to Geneva over alleged U.S. visa denials to Palestinian delegates. The claim spread rapidly across platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and TikTok. [1]

According to Snopes, the claim originated from legitimate criticism about visa processing delays for some delegations, but was transformed into false assertions that the entire General Assembly would relocate. [1]

The United Nations officially confirmed on September 8, 2025 that the 80th session would convene at UN Headquarters in New York as planned. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated: "The General Assembly will meet as scheduled at United Nations Headquarters. There has been no decision to relocate any sessions." [2]

While some member states did call for relocation as a protest measure over visa issues, these calls did not result in any actual change to the assembly's location. The 80th session proceeded in New York from September 9-30, 2025. [15]

Trump's UN Speech (September 23, 2025): Multiple False Claims

President Trump addressed the General Assembly on September 23, 2025, making several claims about the U.S. economy, foreign policy, and international affairs. Major fact-checking organizations including CNN, PolitiFact, and ABC News identified multiple false or misleading statements. [3] [4]

Claim #2: "Inflation Has Been Defeated"

During his address, President Trump stated that "inflation has been defeated" under his administration. However, Bureau of Labor Statistics data directly contradicts this claim. [5]

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) reached a year-over-year low of 2.3% in April 2025, but has since risen. By August 2025 (the most recent data available at the time of the speech), year-over-year inflation had increased to approximately 2.9%. [5]

CNN's fact-check noted that while inflation has moderated from its 2022 peak of 9.1%, calling it "defeated" is inaccurate given the recent upward trend. [3]

[5] [6]

Additionally, the unemployment rate rose from 4.0% in January 2025 to 4.3% in August 2025. Job creation has also slowed, with monthly gains averaging roughly half the rate seen during the final year of the Biden administration in 2024. [6]

Claim #3: "London Wants Sharia Law"

In his speech, President Trump made reference to London and implied that the city's leadership supported the implementation of Islamic religious law. This claim has been repeatedly debunked over several years. [7]

According to Euronews and Full Fact (the UK's independent fact-checking organization), claims linking Mayor Sadiq Khan to "sharia law" have no factual basis and constitute a conspiracy theory that has circulated since Khan's election in 2016. [7] [14]

Full Fact notes: "Mayor Khan has never advocated for sharia law. This claim appears to stem from disinformation campaigns and has been debunked multiple times by fact-checkers worldwide." [14]

UK law is determined by Parliament, not by city mayors. London operates under the same legal framework as the rest of England and Wales. There is no mechanism by which a mayor could implement religious law, nor has any such proposal ever been made by Khan's administration.

Claim #4: Disparaging Renewable Energy

During his address, President Trump made several statements disparaging renewable energy sources, suggesting they were unreliable and economically unviable. ABC News fact-checked these claims against data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). [8]

According to the IEA's Renewables 2025 report, 80% of global electricity growth in 2024 came from renewable sources, primarily solar and wind. The report projects renewables will become the largest source of global electricity generation by 2027. [9]

In the United States specifically, the EIA reports that solar and wind combined now generate approximately 16% of total U.S. electricity - surpassing coal for the first time in the nation's history. [10]

[9] [10]

Claim #5: "Ending 7 Wars"

President Trump claimed credit for "ending 7 wars" during his UN address. Reuters and other fact-checkers examined this assertion and found it to be a significant oversimplification. [13]

Reuters noted that while the administration has been involved in various diplomatic efforts, characterizing outcomes as "ending wars" overstates the U.S. role in complex situations involving multiple parties, often predating the current administration's involvement. [13]

PolitiFact's analysis found that several of the conflicts referenced were either:

• Still ongoing in reduced form
• Resolved primarily through factors independent of U.S. intervention
• Subject to ceasefires that have since collapsed
• Diplomatic processes initiated by previous administrations

[4]

Netanyahu's UNGA Speech: Gaza Claims

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the General Assembly on September 26, 2025, making multiple claims regarding the Gaza humanitarian situation and Israeli military operations. Al Jazeera conducted a detailed fact-check of his statements. [11]

Key contested claims included assertions about civilian casualty figures, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and characterizations of the conflict's origins. International human rights organizations and UN agencies disputed several of his figures. [11]

Global Leaders Sound Alarm on Disinformation

A notable theme at the 80th General Assembly was explicit concern about disinformation from multiple world leaders. Peru's representative explicitly called out "ideologies of hatred" that use "lies and misinformation" to advance political agendas. [16]

According to Associated Press coverage, several delegations raised the issue of state-sponsored disinformation and its threat to democratic processes and international cooperation. [16]

Yahoo News reported that the theme of combating disinformation appeared in addresses from representatives of at least 15 countries, reflecting growing international consensus on the threat posed by false information spread through both traditional and social media. [12]

Verdict Summary: UNGA 2025 Claims

Conclusion

The 80th UN General Assembly was marked by a troubling pattern of false and misleading claims from multiple sources, including viral social media misinformation and statements from world leaders themselves. Key findings:

• Geneva Relocation: Completely false - the UN confirmed the session would be held in New York on September 8, 2025
• Economic Claims: BLS data shows inflation worsening since April 2025, contradicting claims of economic victory
• Sharia Law: A long-debunked conspiracy theory with no factual basis
• Renewable Energy: Claims ignore that solar/wind now surpass coal in U.S. electricity generation
• Ending Wars: Oversimplified characterizations that overstate U.S. role in complex situations

The irony of world leaders spreading misinformation at an assembly where other representatives explicitly warned about "lies and misinformation" was not lost on observers. As Peru's delegate noted, the threat of disinformation to international cooperation and democratic processes requires vigilant fact-checking and public accountability.