search
Sections List
American Journal News

Trump just said he wants more nukes. We already have enough to end life on Earth.

In an interview with Reuters, Donald Trump said he wants to increase America’s nuclear arsenal so that it can be “top of the pack,” because it has fallen behind Russia in its atomic weapons capacity. Trump said, “I am the first one that would like to see everybody — nobody have nukes, but we’re never going […]

By Oliver Willis - February 23, 2017
Share
Donald Trump

Trump said, “I am the first one that would like to see everybody — nobody have nukes, but we’re never going to fall behind any country even if it’s a friendly country, we’re never going to fall behind on nuclear power.”

He added, “It would be wonderful, a dream would be that no country would have nukes, but if countries are going to have nukes, we’re going to be at the top of the pack.”

This is not the first time Trump has made alarming comments about nuclear weapons. During the presidential campaign, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough quoted an unidentified foreign policy expert who briefed Trump and said he asked three times: If we have nuclear weapons, why can’t we use them?

Trump has also said he would never rule out the use of nuclear weapons to attack ISIS, and in December he tweeted, “The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.” In the 1980s, Trump floated the idea that along with the Soviet Union, the United States should use its nuclear power to “dominate” countries.

And Trump’s current assessment of America’s nuclear might is completely disconnected from reality, and underplays the power to engage in mass death on a scale never before seen in history that America already possesses.

The United States has 7,100 nuclear warheads, 1,367 of which are currently deployed on intercontinental ballistic missiles, bombers, and submarines.

Superficially, Russia has more (7,300 total and 1,796 deployed) but that does not give an accurate representation of the danger.

50 nuclear bombs could kill 200 million people, about 2/3 of the U.S. population.

The entire deployed U.S. arsenal, based on that measure, could kill over 5 billion people (the total world population is currently estimated at 7.4 billion), and that does not take into account the mass destruction, radiation, and starvation that would effectively destroy all life on the planet.

That is why the trend on nuclear weapons, until Trump, has been in arms reduction, not production.

President Obama said that “we have more nuclear weapons than we need,” and signed the New START arms reduction treaty with Russia. This trend towards nuclear reduction has been bipartisan, with former Republican Secretaries of State like Henry Kissinger and George Shultz backing those initiatives.

Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush, signed a nuclear reduction treaty with Russia in 2002. Conservative icon Ronald Reagan, working with Russia’s Mikhail Gorbachev, signed the first nuclear arms reduction treaty back in 1987.

Trump’s nuclear dreams are not realistic, they are not normal, and they are as dangerous as it gets.


AJ News
Subscribe to our newsletter.
Read More
AJ News
Latest
I’m a Texan. But I don’t know if I can be a Texas OB-GYN

I’m a Texan. But I don’t know if I can be a Texas OB-GYN

By Bonnie Fuller - December 11, 2025
Lombardo blasted for backing DOGE over injured firefighters

Lombardo blasted for backing DOGE over injured firefighters

By Jesse Valentine - December 10, 2025
NEWSLETTER: corruption disguised as policy

NEWSLETTER: corruption disguised as policy

By Jesse Valentine - December 09, 2025
Trump calls affordability concerns a “hoax” despite dire economic data

Trump calls affordability concerns a “hoax” despite dire economic data

By Jesse Valentine - December 03, 2025
Van Epps touts endorsements from controversial, corrupt figures

Van Epps touts endorsements from controversial, corrupt figures

By Jesse Valentine - November 26, 2025
Mike Lawler’s ‘moderate’ brand collides with his far-right alliances

Mike Lawler’s ‘moderate’ brand collides with his far-right alliances

By Jesse Valentine - November 26, 2025
New report: Thanksgiving costs surge as Americans face higher grocery, travel expenses

New report: Thanksgiving costs surge as Americans face higher grocery, travel expenses

By Jesse Valentine - November 25, 2025
Collins failed to protect Mainers’ health care. She took a victory lap anyway.

Collins failed to protect Mainers’ health care. She took a victory lap anyway.

By Jesse Valentine - November 24, 2025
Whatley calls for replacing Obamacare with ‘market-driven solutions’

Whatley calls for replacing Obamacare with ‘market-driven solutions’

By Jesse Valentine - November 21, 2025
House GOP candidates stay silent on releasing Epstein files

House GOP candidates stay silent on releasing Epstein files

By Jesse Valentine - November 20, 2025
Veterans’ groups slam Trump’s march toward war with Venezuela

Veterans’ groups slam Trump’s march toward war with Venezuela

By Jesse Valentine - November 18, 2025
NEWSLETTER: Dick Cheney quietly exits the world he destroyed

NEWSLETTER: Dick Cheney quietly exits the world he destroyed

By Jesse Valentine - November 14, 2025
Is Karrin Robson trying to hide her anti-abortion record?

Is Karrin Robson trying to hide her anti-abortion record?

By Jesse Valentine - November 14, 2025
Wisconsin mom exposes painful reality of abortion laws after tragic pregnancy loss

Wisconsin mom exposes painful reality of abortion laws after tragic pregnancy loss

By Bonnie Fuller - November 13, 2025
Van Orden says Obamacare is a “failed program,” won’t commit to extending subsidies

Van Orden says Obamacare is a “failed program,” won’t commit to extending subsidies

By Jesse Valentine - November 12, 2025
GOP ‘Problem Solvers’ voted for deep Medicaid cuts they opposed

GOP ‘Problem Solvers’ voted for deep Medicaid cuts they opposed

By Jesse Valentine - November 12, 2025
Whatley campaign tied to company accused of preying on veterans

Whatley campaign tied to company accused of preying on veterans

By Jesse Valentine - November 06, 2025
‘Ticket to Ride’ and pickle sandwiches: The family life behind Abigail Spanberger’s campaign

‘Ticket to Ride’ and pickle sandwiches: The family life behind Abigail Spanberger’s campaign

By Bonnie Fuller - November 03, 2025
Republican John Reid says Confederate generals were “remarkable people”

Republican John Reid says Confederate generals were “remarkable people”

By Jesse Valentine - October 31, 2025
RFK Jr. is going to war against abortion pills

RFK Jr. is going to war against abortion pills

By Bonnie Fuller - October 31, 2025
Ciattarelli wants to end the immigration policy that made his family American

Ciattarelli wants to end the immigration policy that made his family American

By Jesse Valentine - October 31, 2025
Collins says she opposed GOP bill—then brags about writing it

Collins says she opposed GOP bill—then brags about writing it

By Jesse Valentine - October 28, 2025
Some of Jack Ciattarelli’s biggest donors have criminal records

Some of Jack Ciattarelli’s biggest donors have criminal records

By Jesse Valentine - October 27, 2025
GOP Rep. Mike Lawler raises money for radical anti-abortion group

GOP Rep. Mike Lawler raises money for radical anti-abortion group

By Jesse Valentine - October 22, 2025
Lavish White House spending persists as federal workers go unpaid

Lavish White House spending persists as federal workers go unpaid

By Jesse Valentine - October 22, 2025
Miyares’ record shows a long history of siding with landlords over renters

Miyares’ record shows a long history of siding with landlords over renters

By Jesse Valentine - October 16, 2025
Lombardo voted by mail. Now, he wants to restrict it.

Lombardo voted by mail. Now, he wants to restrict it.

By Jesse Valentine - October 15, 2025
Miller-Meeks digs in, says no to health care savings for Iowans

Miller-Meeks digs in, says no to health care savings for Iowans

By Jesse Valentine - October 14, 2025
Tom Barrett promoted GOP budget by passing off a political insider as a small business owner

Tom Barrett promoted GOP budget by passing off a political insider as a small business owner

By Jesse Valentine - October 10, 2025
Republican Rep. Rob Wittman under fire for fundraising during shutdown

Republican Rep. Rob Wittman under fire for fundraising during shutdown

By Jesse Valentine - October 08, 2025
Jason Miyares advanced an extreme anti-abortion agenda as Virginia attorney general

Jason Miyares advanced an extreme anti-abortion agenda as Virginia attorney general

By Jesse Valentine - October 07, 2025
NEWSLETTER: A new generation of Trump grifters

NEWSLETTER: A new generation of Trump grifters

By Jesse Valentine - October 06, 2025
Texas wanted to force her US Marine vet husband to watch their baby die—it would have been worse than war

Texas wanted to force her US Marine vet husband to watch their baby die—it would have been worse than war

By Bonnie Fuller - October 02, 2025
Tumblr linked to Republican John Reid engaged with Nazi porn accounts

Tumblr linked to Republican John Reid engaged with Nazi porn accounts

By Jesse Valentine - October 01, 2025
Spanberger speaks: How she’ll fight Medicaid cuts, create more affordable housing, and protect public schools

Spanberger speaks: How she’ll fight Medicaid cuts, create more affordable housing, and protect public schools

By Bonnie Fuller - September 25, 2025
Republican Josh Williams: I support tax breaks for the rich

Republican Josh Williams: I support tax breaks for the rich

By Jesse Valentine - September 25, 2025

Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License .