Featured Image Credit: YouTube/60Minutes
Topics: Donald Trump, Russia, China, Politics, World News, US News
Callum Jones
Topics: Donald Trump, Russia, China, Politics, World News, US News
Donald Trump left 60 Minutes host Norah O’Donnell stunned after claiming China and Russia are secretly testing nukes in an interview on Sunday (November 2).
The Republican president appeared in a recent episode of 60 Minutes where he sat down with O'Donnell at his Mar-a-Lago resort to discuss the likes of immigration, US-China relations and the infamous government shutdown, when Trump began to speak of his plans for the US to begin to 'test' nuclear weapons - an idea he first floated on Truth Social last week.
Host Norah O’Donnell went on to explain that it's only North Korea in the world testing nuclear weapons right now, to which Trump responded: "Russia's testing and China's testing, but they don't talk about it."
A baffled O’Donnell pressed: "That would certainly be very newsworthy.
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"My understanding was that what Russia did was test the delivery system of the nuclear weapons, not with nuclear warheads."
Reaffirming his claims, the president continued: "They don't have reporters that are going to be writing about it, we do. We are going to test, they test. As powerful as they are, this is a big world. You don't necessarily know where they're testing.
"They test way underground where people don't know exactly what's happening with the test. You feel a little bit of a vibration."
While Trump reiterated his plans to 'never use' nuclear warheads, he continued to state the US must 'test'.
Trump is not afraid to discuss the topic of nuclear weapons, with the POTUS teasing back in the summer that US nuclear submarines had been moved following a heated exchange of words with the deputy chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev.
At the time, Medvedev hit back, saying that Trump's statements posed a 'threat and a step towards war'.
Meanwhile, an American spy plane was seen circling Moscow's skies last month, as Putin's foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Washington would face its wrath if found to be conducting nuclear tests.
Last week, the president instructed the Department of War, formerly of Department of Defense, to get to work on testing nuclear weapons for the first time in 33 years.
Taking to Truth Social, Trump said he 'hated' having to make the order but deemed it necessary due to 'other countries testing programs'.
"The United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country," Trump penned.
"This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office.
"Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice!
"Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within five years."
The 79-year-old then revealed he has asked the department 'to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis,' stating it will begin 'immediately'.