On Thursday, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted that he believes the United States needs to boost its nuclear capabilities during a time when the world hasn’t “come to its senses” about nuclear weapons.
“The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes,” Trump tweeted.
The statement is far cry from President Obama’s stance on the nuclear arsenal over the past eight years of his Presidency. Early on, Barack Obama stated that it is “America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.”
In 2015, the Pentagon census showed that America’s nuclear arsenal stood at 4,571 warheads, which was about 700 less than when former President George W. Bush left office in 2008 with 5,273.
Donald Trump has expressed during his Presidential campaign that many countries have nuclear weapons, so the fear that some would get more isn’t that concerning.
“In many ways, the world is changing,” Trump told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday in April. “Right now, you have Pakistan and you have North Korea and you have China and you have Russia and you have India and you have the United States and many other countries have nukes.”
He has also stated to CNN in March that while he doesn’t want Saudi Arabia to obtain nuclear weapons, “it’s going to happen anyway. It’s only a question of time.”
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