During a White House press briefing on Monday, President Donald Trump made a startling claim that North Korea possesses 45 nuclear weapons. This marks an unprecedented instance of a U.S. president publicly disclosing such specific information about North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.
At the briefing, Trump criticized U.S. allies, stating that South Korea, Australia, and Japan didn’t assist us in the Iran conflict. He then elaborated on U.S. troop deployments, asserting that they’ve got 50,000 troops protecting Japan from North Korea, and another 45,000 in South Korea shielding us from Kim Jong Un. It’s worth noting that while Trump consistently cites 45,000 troops, the actual U.S. force in South Korea numbers around 28,500.
Doubling down on the troop presence, Trump added that they’ve stationed 45,000 personnel in a volatile region right next to Kim, who’s armed to the teeth with nukes.
The president’s statement concluded with an emphasis on a lot of nuclear weapons, specifically referencing “KIM JONG UN WITH A LOT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.” He then abruptly specified 45 before moving on.
This revelation follows a May report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), which assessed North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities. The CRS estimated that Pyongyang has amassed enough fissile material to produce up to 90 nuclear warheads, with approximately 50 likely already assembled.
Trump also boasted about his rapport with the North Korean leader, saying that Kim and him have a great relationship. Noting that Kim has said some really nice things about him. He contrasted this with Kim’s treatment of his predecessor, claiming that he called Joe Biden mentally challenged and was really nasty to him. But it’s different with Trump; he likes Trump. It’s got a great thing going with North Korea.