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| Trump Says U.S. Would ‘Outmatch’ Rivals in a New Nuclear Arms Race | Trump Says U.S. Would ‘Outmatch’ Rivals in a New Nuclear Arms Race |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald J. Trump on Friday welcomed a new nuclear weapons arms race with Russia, vowing in an off-camera interview with a television host that America would “outmatch” any adversary. The comment came one day after he said in a post on Twitter that the United States should “strengthen and expand” its own nuclear capabilities. | WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald J. Trump on Friday welcomed a new nuclear weapons arms race with Russia, vowing in an off-camera interview with a television host that America would “outmatch” any adversary. The comment came one day after he said in a post on Twitter that the United States should “strengthen and expand” its own nuclear capabilities. |
| The president-elect escalated his comments about nuclear weapons with the show of bravado during a brief, off-air telephone conversation from his estate in Florida, according to Mika Brzezinski, the co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program. | The president-elect escalated his comments about nuclear weapons with the show of bravado during a brief, off-air telephone conversation from his estate in Florida, according to Mika Brzezinski, the co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program. |
| “Let it be an arms race,” Mr. Trump said, according to Ms. Brzezinski, who described her conversation with the president-elect on the morning news program moments later. Mr. Trump added: “We will outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all.” | “Let it be an arms race,” Mr. Trump said, according to Ms. Brzezinski, who described her conversation with the president-elect on the morning news program moments later. Mr. Trump added: “We will outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all.” |
| A few hours after those comments, Mr. Trump released a letter he said he received onDec. 15 from President Vladimir V. Putin in which the Russian leader offered holiday greetings and urged a “constructive and pragmatic manner” among leaders in both countries. | |
| “Relations between Russia and the U.S. remain an important factor in ensuring stability and security of the modern world,” Mr. Putin wrote in the letter. “I hope that after you assume the position of the President of the United States of America we will be able — by acting in a constructive and pragmatic manner — to take real steps to restore the framework of bilateral cooperation in different areas as well as bring our level of collaboration on the international scene to a qualitatively new level.” | |
| In his statement, Mr. Trump called it “a very nice letter” and said “his thoughts are so correct. I hope both sides are able to live up to these thoughts, and we do not have to travel an alternate path.” | |
| Mr. Trump did not elaborate on what he meant by an “alternate path.” But despite his praise of Mr. Putin’s letter, the president-elect’s comments on Friday about nuclear weapons appear to reflect a willingness on his part to restart the costly and dangerous Cold War-era weapons competition between the United States and the old Soviet Union. Both nations have sought for decades to reverse that buildup of huge nuclear arsenals. | |
| Friday’s comments and Thursday’s Twitter post appeared to be meant specifically for Mr. Putin, who had said in an end-of-the-year speech to his military this week that Russia must bolster its nuclear capabilities to “reliably penetrate” missile defense systems of any other nation. | |
| The Russian leader, who spoke during a lengthy news conference in Moscow on Friday, said the Kremlin would continue to modernize its armed forces, including nuclear weapons. Russia is not seeking a new arms race or to develop new nuclear warheads, he said, but is instead seeking ways to improve its armaments so that they could pierce American missile defenses. | |
| Mr. Trump, who spent Friday morning playing golf with Tiger Woods at Trump International Golf Club, has not provided any details about his plans regarding an expansion of nuclear abilities, but Sean Spicer, the incoming press secretary for Mr. Trump’s administration, said earlier on the “Morning Joe” program that the president-elect’s Twitter post about nuclear weapons on Thursday was intended to send a message to America’s adversaries around the world. | |
| Asked if Mr. Trump’s post on Twitter was a response to Mr. Putin’s speech to the military, Mr. Spicer said, “I think it’s putting every nation on notice that the United States is going to reassert its position in the globe.” | Asked if Mr. Trump’s post on Twitter was a response to Mr. Putin’s speech to the military, Mr. Spicer said, “I think it’s putting every nation on notice that the United States is going to reassert its position in the globe.” |
| Mr. Spicer added: “Other countries need to understand that if they expand their nuclear capabilities, this president is not going to sit back, he’s going to act.” | Mr. Spicer added: “Other countries need to understand that if they expand their nuclear capabilities, this president is not going to sit back, he’s going to act.” |
| Friday morning’s comments by Mr. Trump and Mr. Spicer about the president-elect’s intentions regarding the nuclear arsenal stood in contrast to what other aides said late Thursday evening. Jason Miller, the incoming communications director, said in a statement that Mr. Trump’s post on Twitter was about the spread of nuclear capabilities around the globe. | Friday morning’s comments by Mr. Trump and Mr. Spicer about the president-elect’s intentions regarding the nuclear arsenal stood in contrast to what other aides said late Thursday evening. Jason Miller, the incoming communications director, said in a statement that Mr. Trump’s post on Twitter was about the spread of nuclear capabilities around the globe. |
| “President-elect Trump was referring to the threat of nuclear proliferation and the critical need to prevent it — particularly to and among terrorist organizations and unstable and rogue regimes,” Mr. Miller wrote. | “President-elect Trump was referring to the threat of nuclear proliferation and the critical need to prevent it — particularly to and among terrorist organizations and unstable and rogue regimes,” Mr. Miller wrote. |
| Kellyanne Conway, who will become counselor to the president in the White House, appeared “The Rachel Maddow Show” on MSNBC on Thursday evening and downplayed the significance of Mr. Trump’s post. | Kellyanne Conway, who will become counselor to the president in the White House, appeared “The Rachel Maddow Show” on MSNBC on Thursday evening and downplayed the significance of Mr. Trump’s post. |
| “I don’t think the tweet was groundbreaking in this regard. It seems that President Obama himself has invested, has called for an upgrade in our capabilities,” Ms. Conway said. Referring to Mr. Trump, she said, “I think in his quest to keep us safe and secure, he’s putting the world on notice that he will do what he thinks he needs to do to keep us safe and secure.” | “I don’t think the tweet was groundbreaking in this regard. It seems that President Obama himself has invested, has called for an upgrade in our capabilities,” Ms. Conway said. Referring to Mr. Trump, she said, “I think in his quest to keep us safe and secure, he’s putting the world on notice that he will do what he thinks he needs to do to keep us safe and secure.” |