Let’s Ask Arty uses existing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to query LLMs about politics in these troubled times.
Query: Can you please fact check the speech and statements that President Trump gave at the United Nations on 09/23/2025?
President Donald Trump’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, 2025, included several claims that have been widely fact-checked and found to be misleading or false across multiple topics. Here’s a breakdown of the most notable inaccuracies:
🌍 Claims About Ending Wars
Trump stated:
“I ended seven wars… Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, the Congo and Rwanda, Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.”
Fact Check:
Cambodia and Thailand: A truce was reached, but it involved mediation from other leaders and was not solely brokered by Trump.
Kosovo and Serbia: No war was actively occurring; Trump’s administration previously brokered an economic agreement, not a peace treaty.
Congo and Rwanda: Fighting continues despite a peace agreement; rebel groups were not part of the deal.
Egypt and Ethiopia: No war existed—only a dispute over a dam project.
Pakistan and India: India denies Trump’s involvement in the May ceasefire.
Israel and Iran: A ceasefire followed U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, but the situation remains volatile.
Armenia and Azerbaijan: A peace declaration was signed, but its long-term impact is uncertain.
🌡️ Climate Change and Renewable Energy
Trump called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” and claimed renewable energy sources “don’t work” and are “too expensive.”
Fact Check:
In 2024, renewables and nuclear accounted for 40% of global electricity generation, with solar and wind surpassing coal in the U.S..
Over 90% of new renewable projects are now cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives.
Solar PV and onshore wind were 41% and 53% cheaper, respectively, than the lowest-cost fossil fuels.
📉 Economy and Poll Numbers
Trump claimed:
“I have the highest poll numbers I’ve ever had.”
Fact Check:
Public polling averages show his approval rating around 42–44%, down from 51–52% earlier in the year.
No public data supports the claim of record-high approval.
🛂 Immigration
Trump described U.S. immigration laws as “suicidal” and blamed them for economic and social decline.
Fact Check:
These statements are opinion-based and not supported by data presented in the speech. Experts widely dispute the characterization of immigration laws as inherently destructive.
🕊️ Criticism of the United Nations
Trump said:
“All they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter and then never follow that letter up.”
Fact Check:
While the U.N. has been criticized for slow responses, it continues to play active roles in peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and global coordination. Trump’s portrayal oversimplifies its functions
My Take
I’ve given up on President Trump ever speaking truthfully about anything. Whenever he opens his mouth, lies spill out. Lying is his default setting.
I can’t see how anyone with even an ounce of intelligence could watch that speech and not be embarrassed and ashamed of who we put in office.
We all knew the speech (like all of Donald Trump’s speeches) would be littered with lies and misinformation, so no surprise there. But the boorish and self-congratulatory tone was off the charts, even for Trump. If the delegations had any courage at all, they would have stood up and walked out.
I’ve just published “Imagine There’s No Donald” on Amazon.com.
Imagine There’s No Donald is a lyrical collection that channels the melodic cadence of (mostly) Beatles songs to deliver searing poetic indictments of Donald Trump, the MAGA movement, and their corrosive impact on American democracy.
Each poem echoes the structure and emotional resonance of iconic musical tracks—think “Rocky Racoon” reimagined as the tale of Donald Trump’s destructive path to the presidency, or Terry Jacks’ “Seasons in the Sun” transformed into a lament on Republican cowardice and lost democratic norms.
Through this fusion of pop nostalgia and political critique, the collection:
🎶 Harnesses Familiar Rhythms: The song structures serve as scaffolding for verses that are both accessible and subversive, drawing readers in with rhythm before confronting them with truth.
🔥 Excoriates Authoritarianism: Trump and MAGA are portrayed not just as political figures but as symbols of a broader erosion of truth, decency, and constitutional integrity.
🕊️ Defends Democratic Ideals: The poems mourn the fragility of American institutions while fiercely advocating for civic engagement, accountability, and moral clarity.
🎤 Amplifies Dissent: With a voice that is at once satirical and sincere, the book invites readers to sing along in protest, turning melody into a megaphone for resistance.
Whether riffing on “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window” to expose the sycophantic rot of the Trump administration or twisting “When I Saw Her Standing There!” into an elegy against oligarchs and authoritarianism, this book is a poetic rebellion—an artistic act of defiance that refuses to be silent in the face of democratic decay.
Most free thinkers, poets, and essayists are but a thorn in the side of the authoritarian regime that is running roughshod over America’s democracy. Writing and speaking truth to power sometimes feels like screaming into the void. But with critical mass and momentum, art can influence public sentiment and mobilize opposition to repressive policies and tactics, making it a powerful adversary to regimes that rely on propaganda and control.
Verbal resistance alone won’t revive our democracy. If we’re going to right the ship in America, we’re going to have to do more than sing and complain. We’re going to have to take to the streets and, as the honorable Georgia Congressman John Lewis famously said, “get in good trouble, necessary trouble” by the millions.
Get your copy of Imagine There’s No Donaldon Amazon. Please feel free to share the link with others on your social media or simply by giving the book to a loved one as a gift.
My Paper, My Words is a collection of essays, stories, and poems that reflect the challenges of a middle-class husband and father trying to navigate a rapidly changing political, religious, and technological landscape of post-9/11 America.
For the benefit of Vladimir A sourpuss that’s insincere, a criminal JD and Trump will kiss his ass to lend support for his morass is seminal. Soldier men and forces, bombs and bosses, Jumping through a hog’s head of real fire. with a sneer Vladimir will challenge the world!
Inebriated Vladimir lays down a beat on Saturday, at Ukraine’s gate. A Russian Bear will dance and sing As Rubio bows to a King, a coward’s fate Mess’rs P. and T. assure the public their protection will be lesser than none. and of course, NATO the Horse, dances alone
The bombs begin at ten to six When Vladimir performs his tricks without a sound And Mister T. will demonstrate There’re things he can’t resuscitate from underground Having stuck the knife with devastation A bloody time is guaranteed for all And tonight, Vladimer is having a ball
Let’s Ask Arty uses existing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to query LLMs about politics in these troubled times.
Query 1: How did the war between Ukraine and Russia start?
The war between Ukraine and Russia began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. This invasion was preceded by years of tension and conflict, including Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine2. The full-scale invasion in 2022 marked a significant escalation in the conflict
Query 2: Did Russian Forces commit war crimes against Ukraine citizens?
Yes, there have been numerous credible reports and investigations indicating that Russian forces have committed war crimes against Ukrainian citizens since the invasion began in 2022. These war crimes include deliberate attacks on civilian targets such as hospitals, schools, and residential areas, indiscriminate attacks on densely populated areas, abduction, torture, and murder of civilians, forced deportations, sexual violence, and destruction of cultural heritage.
Query 3: Is Vladimir Putin responsible for war crimes against Ukraine?
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of war crimes related to the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. This is part of broader allegations of war crimes committed by Russian forces, including deliberate attacks on civilian targets, abductions, torture, and murder of civilians, and destruction of cultural heritage.
Query 4: As an American citizen, how can I support Ukraine in its war with Russia even when my government seems now to be siding with Russia?
It’s commendable that you want to support Ukraine despite the complexities of international politics. Here are some ways you can help:
Donate to humanitarian organizations: Organizations like People in Need, the Ukrainian Red Cross, International Medical Corps, and CARE are actively providing aid to those affected by the conflict. Your donations can help provide food, shelter, medical aid, and other essential services1.
Support Ukrainian businesses: Purchase products made in Ukraine or from Ukrainian-owned businesses to help support their economy.
Advocate for Ukraine: Use your voice to raise awareness about the situation in Ukraine. Write to your representatives, participate in peaceful protests, and use social media to spread the word.
Volunteer: Look for local or international volunteer opportunities with organizations that support Ukraine. This could include anything from fundraising events to providing direct assistance to refugees.
Educate yourself and others: Stay informed about the situation in Ukraine and share accurate information with your community. Knowledge is power, and spreading awareness can lead to more support.
Support cultural initiatives: Attend events, concerts, and exhibitions that promote Ukrainian culture and raise funds for the cause.
Query 5: Was Donald Trump financially beholden to Russia?
The relationship between Donald Trump and Russia has been a topic of much discussion and investigation. While Trump has consistently denied having any financial ties to Russia, investigations and reports have revealed several connections.
Business Ventures: Trump has pursued business deals in Russia since the late 1980s. Although he never successfully concluded any real estate deals in Russia, Russian investors have heavily invested in Trump properties.
Financing: Following his bankruptcies in the 1990s, Trump borrowed money from Russian sources. His children have also acknowledged that Russia was an important source of money for the Trump businesses.
Associates: Several of Trump’s senior advisors and business partners have had financial and business ties to Russian financiers.
Despite these connections, Trump has maintained that he has no financial ties to Russia. The full extent and nature of these connections remain a subject of ongoing scrutiny and debate.
My Input
Before I get going, I need to jettison some of my anger about America’s shift regarding the war in Ukraine.
I’m angry that millions of Americans don’t seem to care their President is a fucking liar. They don’t seem to care that under Trump’s authority, America has flipped its position on Ukraine, signaling support for the nation that unlawfully invaded them while committing war crimes against Ukrainian civilians.
This past week, in America’s name, Trump stood on the world stage and knowingly lied about who started the war in Ukraine and then regurgitated Russian talking points about President Zelensky being a dictator.
Let’s get to the point. As Arty states clearly, there is no ambiguity about what happened on February 24, 2022.
After Putin unlawfully invaded Ukraine and committed war crimes against Ukrainian citizens, America stood shoulder-to-shoulder with law-abiding nations around the world in condemnation of Russia. America and our Western European allies offered humanitarian, military, and moral support to help Ukraine defend and fight against Russia.
Before Trump became President again, standing up for Ukraine wasn’t a sticky wicket politically. Ukraine was not threatening Russia. Ukraine was simply next to Russia—there for the taking. The “right and wrong” of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was so clear that even our divided Congress came together almost immediately to support President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people.
I was proud of our government’s stance, but honestly, it was a no-brainer.
Right??
Now look at where we are today. Trump is working directly with Russia while excluding Ukraine from negotiations and labeling President Zelinsky a dictator.
What we need to remember about Donald Trump is that he’s purely transactional, has no moral compass, and has a penchant for revenge.
Why is this important regarding the war in Ukraine? Whether you curry favor or scorn Donald Trump, you can expect reciprocity—he’s a tit-for-tat president unfettered by morality or the rule of law.
Donald Trump dislikes President Zelensky because, in 2019, Zelensky didn’t agree to Trump’s request that he “do us a favor” and investigate Joe Biden, his political rival, and his son Hunter Biden.
Trump threatened to withhold military aid and a White House meeting as leverage to strong-arm Zelensky.
A House investigation found that Trump’s actions constituted an abuse of power (pressuring a foreign leader for personal political gain) and that he obstructed Congress by instructing his administration to ignore subpoenas for documents and testimony.
Donald Trump hates the fact that Zelensky would not be bullied and probably blames the Ukrainian President for his first impeachment.
Trump likes Vladimir Putin because Putin and Russia curried favor with Trump by interfering in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election to undermine Hillary Clinton’s campaign and boost Donald Trump’s chances of winning. Russian interference included hacking and releasing emails from the Democratic National Committee and Clinton’s campaign chairman, as well as spreading disinformation through social media.
The U.S. intelligence community, the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee, and Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation all concluded that Russia engaged in an extensive campaign to influence the election in favor of Donald Trump.
The people who know Trump best – the ones who served in his administration and the high-ranking officers in the military that he commanded, spoke clearly before the 2024 election, telling Americans in no uncertain terms that Donald Trump was a fascist and a threat to our democracy and democracies around the world. However, the price of eggs was through the roof, a handful of trans athletes competed in events, and the local library hosted Drag Show Readings. And so millions of Americans turned a deaf ear to the warnings and voted for a convicted felon and serial sexual abuser. Today, the consequences of that decision are unfolding before our eyes.
It’s clear that Congress, which has the constitutional authority to check the President’s powers, lacks the courage to do so. And we can forget about the Judicial branch, which granted Trump immunity from criminal prosecution.
American citizens will have to right the ship. The longer Trump’s actions go on without protest or dissent from citizens, the more momentum Trump and the MAGA movement gain, and the more dangerous and difficult our task becomes.
With each passing day, more executive orders come, and Elon Musk swings the DOGE wrecking ball at federal institutions and agencies to weaken the government and solidify executive power and authority.
It’s up to American citizens to demand a moral, competent, and just government that supports democracy and works for the people instead of an autocratic, oligarchic government that demands fealty from the people.
Its army murdered civilians, raped women, and kidnapped children.
In a recent speech, Donald Trump said he would “encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want” to NATO countries who don’t pay their fair share.
In November 2024, American voters must become Guardians of Democracy, swarm to polling places in droves, and drive a stake through the heart of the MAGA movement once and for all.
Donald Trump wants to end American Democracy and Democracy around the world.
At first, it was difficult to brush aside the carnage.
We see the horror of war and empathize with those engulfed by it.
We get angry at the senselessness of it.
We get agitated that one man’s evil ambition can wreak havoc on millions of innocent people who just want to live their lives.
But as the war drags on, we’ll grow to accept it as part of the global landscape.
For Ukrainians, outrage and anger fuel their fight and their will to survive.
For Ukrainians, outrage is ammunition. Outrage is necessary.
But for us watching the war from a safe distance, in 3-minute segments on flat-screen TVs, maintaining the same level of outrage we felt initially is not sustainable. Not because we’re callous or ambivalent, but because that level of outrage interferes with our daily routine and our need to get on with our lives.
Humans are not wired to maintain a constant state of outrage when their environment does not merit it, or when their survival does not depend on it.
For those not directly impacted by war, extended outrage is an impediment. To move on with our lives, outrage gives way to a begrudging (and guilt-laden) acceptance of other people’s suffering.
In a way, turning off our outrage becomes a survival mechanism.
Putin understands this.
Putin is betting that the world will get tired of feeling outrage.
Putin knows that outrage has a short shelf-life and all he has to do for victory is wait us out.
We need sustainable outrage to stand up against the enemies of freedom and democracy.
‘Let he who tied the bell on the tiger take it off’
So said China’s President Xi Jinping, alluding to who is responsible for reigning in Vladimir Putin from his vicious and unlawful military assault on Ukraine.
So, who tied the bell on the Russian Tiger?
I would suggest:
The first bell was tied on the Tiger when Trump sought Russia’s cooperation in a US election.
The next bell on the tiger was Trump’s un-ending praise of Putin and other autocrats.
More bells were attached with 4 years of Trump trashing NATO alliances.
And then there was that big bell when Trump sided with Putin over US intelligence agencies, for everyone to see, in Helsinki.
Another bell on the Tiger was the Trump administration turning its back on the Kurds and letting Russia have its way in Syria.
So, President Xi is correct; America did indeed put the bell on the Tiger. A fuck-load of bells. Christ, with so many bells, we could name that Tiger Jingles.
Biden is dealing with a Russian Tiger, belled by 4 years of praise and appeasement from a thug-loving autocratic-wanna-be President who hated our NATO allies.
And now Putin, the belled Russian Tiger, is terrorizing Ukraine, murdering innocent men, women, and children.
I have my own proverb:
The belled tiger is less restrained and more dangerous after 4-years of an orange bull in Western Democracy’s China Closet.
Like a bull in a China Closet, former President Trump obliterated the norms of liberal western democracy in favor of autocratic principals, opening the door to a terroristic Tiger.
On Daddy’s dime, he ran business after business into the ground.
He shorted his contractors, defrauded, and extorted his way to the top of the New York real estate market.
He cheated on his taxes almost as much as he cheated on his wives.
He sexually assaulted women and bragged about it.
He publicly mocked a disabled reporter.
When a woman reporter held his feet to the fire with tough questions, he insinuated that her tough questions were related to her menstrual cycle.
He endlessly equated a woman’s worth with her appearance.
He sexualized his own daughter publicly.
He denied housing to people based solely on the color of their skin.
He used a charity as a front for illegal activities and was forced to shut it down.
He created a fake university to take money from suckers, truckers, and dumb motherfuckers all across America.
He pandered to Americans’ fears, employing a nationalistic propaganda campaign emblematic of the Nazis in Pre-World War II Europe. And as a result of that campaign, he ascended to the highest office in the land.
For four years, we bore witness to a fundamental truth: like sewage in a leeching field, a man’s lack of character seeps into every decision he makes.
At the pinnacle of power and public service, Trump put all his energy into pitting Americans against one another instead of leading and uniting a nation. He understood that a divided America was his only chance at hanging on to power.
He promoted and pushed tax policies that helped the rich and powerful as president.
He implemented a punitive immigration policy that separated children from their parents and caged them, all while using nationalistic propaganda and xenophobic tropes to justify his cruelty.
He tried to shake down a foreign leader by holding up military funding for dirt on his political opponent.
He minimized the danger of the COVID-19 pandemic and pushed false cures and the notion that COVID-19 would not last, despite knowing his words were lies.
He cheered the efforts of nationalist militias to overthrow state governments.
He regularly praised and flirted with authoritarians while simultaneously trashing alliances.
And when the American people finally said enough is enough, he used lies and misinformation about a stolen election to whip his supporters into a frenzy. Then, he gathered his supporters in Washington for the express purpose of subverting American Democracy, urging them to storm the capital to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
Blood was spilled, and people died, but Democracy prevailed.
Since then, members of his administration have said that Trump was, and is, unfit to lead. Yet members of the Republican party serving in Congress refuse to refute the fat orange brute.
A few weeks ago, Russia invaded the free and sovereign nation of Ukraine, and Trump refused to refute the brute who initiated the attack. In fact, he praised Putin’s tactics as “Genius” and “Savvy.”
When asked by a reporter, “What message would you like to give Vladimir Putin today?” Trump did not denounce Putin’s aggression. Instead, the former leader of the free world said, “I have no message.”
And yet Trump – this menace to American Democracy and democracies around the world – this selfish, shallow, vile human being devoid of character and morality is still the most powerful man in the Republican party.
Republicans in Congress grub for his support., similar to the scared immigrant families of generations ago who cowered to the local mafia thug strutting in their streets.
Unfortunately for America, Trump is that Mafia thug. Instead of threatening physical violence, he threatens the congressional community to withhold his support. And to the dismay of many, Republican members of Congress bend a knee and kiss the ring of this despicable human being.
The lack of courage in the face of Trump’s moral and ethical turpitude stunned and deflated Americans and weakened our global standing. Our allies wondered aloud if America could still be trusted. How can we expect America to stand up for Democracy when their own president does not?
Trump spent four years weakening alliances with Western democracies across Europe. He joyfully cozied up to authoritarian leaders and countries around the globe. He softened the ground for autocratic regimes in their march against Western democratic ideals, which lead inevitably to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Like Trump, Putin is a bully and a thug.
Like Trump, Putin understands Democracy is the iron in the blood of free men and women.
And when Democracy takes hold in a country previously constricted by authoritarianism, it unlocks the desire for freedom that exists naturally in all human beings. Our natural human desire for freedom is contagious and spreads quickly, especially in countries where freedom has been denied.
Freedom and the courage to fight for it are the kryptonite of autocrats, dictators, and bullies.
Freedom was flourishing in Ukraine. And though Ukraine was no threat militarily to Russia, the freedom of its people was a threat to Putin himself.
What happens if Russians get infected with freedom? How long would Putin last?
And so, we have bombs raining down on cities across Ukraine. We have a free and sovereign nation under attack by a menacing bully.
Like Putin, Trump understood that his rule was also threatened by freedom.
The freedom for people to march in protest.
The freedom of the press to report truthfully.
The freedom of citizens to question and challenge authority.
All of these freedoms ended Trump’s presidency and saved (for now anyway) our Democracy.
We must do all that we can to help Ukraine fight for freedom. As free people, it’s our responsibility to help Ukrainians in their fight to remain free. They’re standing up to the bully, putting their lives on the line to remain a sovereign nation of free people. If they lose their fight, it’s a victory for the enemies of freedom everywhere. A victory for Putin opens the door to further aggression and the spread of autocracy’s dark shadow around the globe.
In a recent interview, a reporter asked Ukraine President Zelenskyy if he understood America’s view that imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine would worsen the situation. Worsen it for who? was his reply.
By refusing to close the sky over Ukraine, we’re permitting the slaughter of Ukrainians.
When you’re an ocean away from bombs raining down from the skies, you can afford to be pragmatic; when bombs are raining down on you, pragmatism goes out the window.
Ukrainians don’t have the luxury of being pragmatic or assessing their situation from a geopolitical perspective. Instead, they’re asking America and the world to give them a chance at survival. Refusing to close the sky over Ukraine diminishes their chances significantly.
Either we stand up to the bully and close the skies and risk escalating the war to other countries, or we permit the slaughter of innocent civilians.
Put more simply, either we do what is right or what is safe. We stand up to the menacing bully with all of our strength and courage, or we do not.
bendingtheneedle 