WAIT WHAT?

Report: Trump Wanted Tenfold Increase in U.S. Nuclear Arsenal

Officials say no such expansion is planned.

President Trump reportedly told his advisers, including the country’s highest-ranking national-security leaders, that he wanted something very simple: a tenfold increase in America’s nuclear arsenal. According to NBC News, Trump told the room, in the July 20 meeting, that he also wanted more U.S. troops and military equipment. The request was in response to a Powerpoint slide he was shown during the briefing, in which officials pointed out that there has been a steady reduction of nuclear weapons in the U.S. since the 1960s, according to at least three sources in the room. Trump allegedly did not like the downward slope on the slide and wanted the numbers to instead increase dramatically. According to NBC News, Trump’s advisers, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, were surprised by his request and tried to explain why—legally and practically—that would be a difficult goal to accomplish. Officials have since said that there is no such nuclear or military expansion planned. Trump tweeted a rebuke to the story on Wednesday morning, writing: “Fake @NBCNews made up a story that I wanted a ‘tenfold’ increase in our U.S. nuclear arsenal. Pure fiction, made up to demean. NBC = CNN!”