Trump praised Germany at the UN — but his big claim was wrong: Germany has not “returned to nuclear energy.” Its reactors remain shut, and Berlin says that won’t change. Here’s what he really said, what’s true, and what isn’t — and why it matters.
Headline: Trump’s UN broadside at Germany: harsh words, bold praise, and one clear falsehood
The most important correction first
- Trump told the UN that Germany under Chancellor Friedrich Merz had “returned to … nuclear energy.” That’s false. Germany shut its last three reactors in April 2023 and the government has ruled out restarting conventional nuclear power. No plants have been brought back online. Sources: CNBC; Clean Energy Wire (https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/18/germany-shuts-down-last-nuclear-power-plants-some-scientists-aghast.html?utm_source=openai; https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/germanys-new-energy-minister-rules-out-return-conventional-nuclear?utm_source=openai)
- What did change: Berlin softened its stance at the EU level, no longer trying to block other countries’ use of nuclear. That’s an EU-position shift, not a domestic restart. Source: Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/berlin-paris-overcome-rift-over-nuclear-energy-french-official-says-2025-05-19/?utm_source=openai)
The scene in New York An hour-long speech, a hard line on migration, and a striking image: as Donald Trump (79) blasted “open borders,” the President of the UN General Assembly sat behind him on the dais — Annalena Baerbock, Germany’s former Green foreign minister, now presiding over the 80th UNGA. This detail from the German article checks out. Source: UN press (https://press.un.org/en/2025/ga12685.doc.htm?utm_source=openai)
What Trump said — and what’s verified
- Migration as “invasion/assault”: Verified. Trump made migration the centerpiece of his address, calling it an “invasion,” claiming the UN helps finance an “assault” on Western borders, and warning Europeans, “Your countries are going to hell.” Sources: Washington Post; Reuters; Time (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/09/23/president-donald-trump-united-nations/5f840f6a-9877-11f0-8ce3-5abc3053a693_story.html?itid=agg_ticker&utm_source=openai; https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/trump-tells-un-that-climate-change-is-con-job-2025-09-23/?utm_source=openai; https://time.com/7319694/trump-un-speech-immigration/?utm_source=openai)
- Climate change as a “con job”: Verified. He dismissed climate action with that phrasing, in line with the article’s “Scherz/‘größter Betrug’” translation. Source: Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/trump-tells-un-that-climate-change-is-con-job-2025-09-23/?utm_source=openai)
- A jab at Britain: Verified. He singled out the UK negatively. Source: Time (https://time.com/7319694/trump-un-speech-immigration/?utm_source=openai)
- Praise for Germany under Merz and criticism of the former Ampel coalition: Verified in German press write-ups. Trump said Germany had left a “very sick path” on migration and energy. Source: Stuttgarter Nachrichten (https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.un-vollversammlung-in-new-york-trump-deutschland-hat-kranken-weg-bei-migration-und-energie-verlassen.3c09b81f-69e4-42cb-8d54-1ce919051c5f.html?utm_source=openai)
What’s misleading or wrong
- “Germany returned to fossil fuels and nuclear energy.” Partly misleading, partly false.
- Nuclear: False. No restart. See above. Sources: CNBC; Clean Energy Wire (links above)
- Fossil fuels: Germany still uses fossil fuels, but “return” oversimplifies a complex energy mix that also includes steady renewables growth. The key point: the nuclear part of his claim is simply wrong.
- “They went green — and went bankrupt!” This is rhetoric, not a factual statement about Germany’s economy. It’s reported as something Trump said, but it’s not true in a literal sense. Source: n-tv (https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Trump-Deutschland-hat-sehr-kranken-Weg-verlassen-article26051767.html?utm_source=openai)
What we could not verify exactly
- “Germany is ‘safe again’.” We found praise for Germany and “great recognition,” but not that exact wording from a reliable transcript. Treat “wieder sicher” as unconfirmed. Source: Stuttgarter Nachrichten (https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.un-vollversammlung-in-new-york-trump-deutschland-hat-kranken-weg-bei-migration-und-energie-verlassen.3c09b81f-69e4-42cb-8d54-1ce919051c5f.html?utm_source=openai)
- “Green energy lies” as a verbatim quote. Trump called climate policy a “con job” or “scam,” but we could not source that exact phrase in authoritative transcripts. Treat it as paraphrase. Source: Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/trump-tells-un-that-climate-change-is-con-job-2025-09-23/?utm_source=openai)
The Germany piece: what changed and what didn’t
- Chancellor Merz (69) and migration:
- Policy has tightened: more internal border checks, pressure to reject more asylum claims. Source: Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germanys-merz-says-court-ruling-will-not-stop-migration-crackdown-2025-06-03/?utm_source=openai)
- Limits remain: German courts and EU law constrain how far any crackdown can go. That context is crucial when judging claims that Germany has fully “left” its old path.
- Energy policy:
- Nuclear: No domestic return. Reactors closed in 2023; government rules out conventional nuclear restarts. Sources: CNBC; Clean Energy Wire (links above)
- EU stance: Germany stopped trying to block nuclear at the EU level, easing friction with Paris. Source: Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/berlin-paris-overcome-rift-over-nuclear-energy-french-official-says-2025-05-19/?utm_source=openai)
A moment heavy on theater — and consequences From the UN rostrum, Trump’s words were vintage Trump: combative, quotable, and calibrated to dominate headlines. The theater worked. But on the policy specifics, especially Germany and nuclear power, the record is clear: the plants are off, and Berlin says they’ll stay off. The distinction between domestic policy and EU diplomacy is where rhetoric and reality part ways.
Key takeaways
- Verified: Trump’s UN speech hammered migration, attacked climate policy as a “con job,” and took a swipe at the UK; he praised Germany under Merz and slammed the former Ampel coalition. Sources: Reuters; Washington Post; Time (links above)
- False: Germany has “returned to nuclear energy.” Reactors remain shut; no restart planned. Sources: CNBC; Clean Energy Wire (links above)
- Unverified: The exact quote “Germany is safe again.” Treat as unconfirmed.
- Rhetoric vs facts: “They went green and went bankrupt” is a line, not a data point.
How we checked We cross-referenced the German article with major outlets and official sources:
- Speech content and quotes: Reuters; Washington Post; Time (links above)
- Germany’s nuclear status: CNBC; Clean Energy Wire (links above)
- Baerbock’s UNGA role: UN press (https://press.un.org/en/2025/ga12685.doc.htm?utm_source=openai)
- Merz as chancellor and age: BBC (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgp22zlrgko?utm_source=openai)
What we still don’t know
- The exact transcript for a few disputed lines. If an official UN/White House video or transcript is released, it could confirm or correct the phrasing around “wieder sicher” and “green energy lies.”
Bottom line
- Trump’s tone and themes are reported accurately — but his claim that Germany “returned to nuclear” is wrong. Germany has not reversed its nuclear phaseout, even as it softens its EU-level stance. The rest of the speech? A lot of heat, some light — and a reminder to always check the policy plumbing beneath the headline lines.