Russia and China have been testing nuclear warheads behind the scenes, according to President Donald Trump.
Dismissing the assertion that what Russia did recently was only a test of essential delivery systems for nuclear weapons, Trump accused Moscow and Beijing of secrecy.
“North Korea is testing constantly. Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it,” the president said on 60 Minutes, a CBS News program, published on Sunday.
Trump told the interviewer, Norah O’Donnell, that he announced the nuclear testing because the U.S. is an open society where important actions must be disclosed.
“We have to talk about it; otherwise, you people are going to report,” he argued.
“They [Russia and China] don’t have reporters that are going to be writing about it. We do,” he added.
Maintaining that America possesses the most warheads, Trump echoed his call for global denuclearization, saying the top three nuclear powers “have enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world 150 times.”
On intelligence reports on Chinese infiltration of America’s power grid, water systems, intellectual property, and citizens’ personal information, he insists the U.S. was equally a threat to China.
According to the leader, although both nations are “always watching” each other, they can still get along and can be bigger, better, and stronger through a mutually beneficial relationship.
Trump also denied retribution claims following the indictments of James Comey [former FBI director], John Bolton [his former national security adviser], and Letitia James [New York attorney general].
“You’re looking at a man who was indicted many times, and I had to beat the rap,” the Republican said. “They tried to get me not to run for president by going after me and by indicting me.”
On whether the increasing military operation around Venezuela could mean the days of President Nicolas Maduro are numbered, President Trump replied: “I would say yeah. I think so.”
