Major Update: Trump Doubles Down on Nuclear Weapons Expansion (He Remains Insane)

Mother Earth During Trump Nuclear Expansion

Cinder Earth After Trump Nuclear Expansion

This is a major update about the nuclear weapons flap Trump has created via a recent (what else) Tweet. And, yes, it is long, but needs to posted as perhaps the most-critical issue of our time. The original post follows this short introduction and update: 

I have noticed a wide GOP adoration and near love-affair with Vladimir Putin, and that is very troubling to say the least. Let's face it, Vladimir Putin is an autocrat and so is his style of iron-fist rule. To see and hear how Republicans fawn over him is both alarming and troubling – especially all the while how they constantly attack Mr. Obama across many lines and on many issues. 

It’s ironic and quite sick at the same time how Republicans love Putin’s dictatorial style, while accusing Mr. Obama of wearing “mommy jeans” and “being a dictator” like getting health care reform passed w/o any GOP votes and then watching them try to repeal it with over 50 votes to no avail, and ripping into him about his numerous EO’s due aimed at the inaction of the GOP-run Congress to actually help people all across the country.  

Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine and Crimea and now his engagement in the civil war in Syria keeping al-Assad in power by bombing everything and everyone in sight willy-nilly.  

And, now this update to the nuclear subject from Trump and with a lot of my notes inserted along the way.

Trump seems to be pushing a “new arms race” with this pretty dramatic headline:

“Let it be an arms race” Trump doubles down on nuclear proliferation (based on his earlier tweet)

When asked to clarify his Tweet stance on a recent Twitter about expanding the United States’ nuclear arsenal, President-elect Donald Trump reportedly touted the possibility of an arms race — not unlike the ominous standoff between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union during the Cold War, saying: “Let it be an arms race, because we will outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all.” [Trump said Friday morning (Dec 23) and according to Morning Joe co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough].

In an off-air phone conversation, Brzezinski had asked Trump to address that tweet from Dec 22 Thursday about building up the nation’s nuclear capabilities when he offered that gem: “a new arms race.”

Trump’s apparent policy contradicts decades of U.S. policy regarding nuclear proliferation and the country’s international commitments.

The Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) went into force in 1970 addressing three major concerns in the Atomic Age: disarmament, non-proliferation, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Virtually every state in the world agreed that countries with nuclear weapons would work toward disarmament, and that countries without nuclear weapons would not seek them and all countries would be able to use peaceful nuclear technology.

In April 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to the principles and the goals of the NPT during a speech at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, saying in part:

“I am pleased to stand here today representing a president and an administration that is committed to the vision of a world without nuclear weapons and to taking the prudent actions that are necessary to one day make that possible.”

Trump’s campaign manager Kellyanne Conway discussed the president-elect’s disconcerting tweet during a heated interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on also on Dec. 22 Thursday, the day she was appointed counselor to the president.

Maddow had suggested that if the U.S. announced a U-turn on nuclear policy, then countries like India and Pakistan might move their nuclear weapons to launch status. That’s what has happened, she said, when presidents even joke about nuclear weapons.

“We’re getting ahead of ourselves, Rachel,” Conway replied. (I note: Conway is a perfect mouthpiece for Trump: She is dumb, stupid, clever and slick with the words, yet mouthy and always, always in campaign mode with the nastiness and quips and such, but she is also a total jerk and quite frankly a dangerous person to be the White House).

Maddow said that Trump announcing on Twitter that he wanted to expand the nation’s nuclear arsenal is a big deal, and that Trump doesn’t seem to know what he’s talking about on that issue.

Conway said that in a perfect world they wouldn’t need to talk about nukes, but that this is not a perfect world, adding, cleverly: 

“In the world in which we live, which is not perfect, in fact, it’s very dangerous and very uncertain, I hope we can all agree, military might has been one of the ways to deter people from doing bad things.”

Then according to Conway, Trump may have been echoing actions President Obama has taken to upgrade our weapons systems (although Trump’s comment to Brzezinski the following morning suggests he actually wants to amass more nukes). (I note: Upgrading technology while also not producing new weapons is not the same as expanding the weapons arsenal, Ms. Conway – get a frickin’ grip, okay).

She took issue with Maddow scrutinizing what Trump says on social media as if it were the official policy of his administration.

“I think that we’re getting a little too far ahead of ourselves that he’s changing policy and making policy in a way that he did not intend,” Conway said.

Maddow fired back: “The president making policy happens whenever the president speaks on a national security matter.”

Added to that exchange, political strategist Sean Spicer, who was recently named Trump’s White House press secretary (moving over from the RNC), was asked to address that same nuclear fiasco during an appearance on Today on Dec 23 Friday morning. He said the president-elect will “take action” to make sure that American interests are protected. (I note for Mr. Spicer: Having more and more nukes does not ensure anyone’s protection or safety … it assures total destruction of mankind – you too need to get a grip – this is not the 1950’s starting all over again).

Spicer continued: “We’re not going to sit back as a country and allow other countries to expand their nuclear capability.” (I note: Hey, Trump threw down the challenge and that Mr. clueless one, is how this stuff gets blown out of shape … other countries will say “Trump and the U.S. is expanding, so will we – which Mr. Spicer is the simple definition of “Arms race.” WTFU).

Spicer was quick to add that Trump only plans to expand the country’s nuclear stockpile if other countries don’t “come to their senses.” (I note: Trump’s statements drive them further away from any senses, common or otherwise, Mr. Spicer).

Spicer concluded with this gem: “Other countries need to be put on notice that he is not going to sit back and allow them to undermine our safety, our sovereignty.”

(I note: that nonsense allows Trump to blame anyone except himself if someone starts a new nuke program to include testing and while their neighbors get nervous and then start shooting – all that becomes Trump’s scapegoat and cause for what – him to start WWIII and blame the world and himself — I further note and ask Ms. Conway and Mr. Spicer: Which other countries are now developing or close to developing nuclear weapons that would cause us to "expand our current inventory" ... tick tock, tick tock - what cat got your tongue).

Related: Putin discussed Trump several times during his annual end of the year news conference.

He said that there was nothing unusual about Trump talking about strengthening the U.S. nuclear arsenal and armed forces. He said Russia would not compete in an arms race because it would not be able to keep up. (I note: who in the hell will believe that statement).

Putin concluded: “If anyone is unleashing an arms race, it’s not us. We will never spend resources on an arms race that we can’t afford.” (I note: so Putin would hope we and go broke like they did under Reagan because they couldn’t keep up the spending like Reagan did – are we heading back down that road).

As with many of Trump’s proposals, the backlash has been swift and fierce.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-DE, told CNN’s New Day that Trump could create “chaos for international relations” if he keeps tweeting certain things at 5 am that his press people need to roll back at 7 am, only to be undermined by another tweet at 9 am. That is total insanity run amok, too.

Finally and in my view: If this is how Trump plans to govern then ladies and gentlemen, we are in deep, deep doo-doo and just like that old Kevin Costner Soviet-CIA era movie, “No Way Out” we would have no way out, either.  

We are screwed with Trump any way we slice it. So, Mr. and Mrs. Trump Loyalist Americans, I ask you again: What the hell have you done?

THE ORIGINAL POST STARTS HERE: If you don't already know this is the top news today (three other links are below) then listen read on, and oh, BTW, note how the Trump team tries to spin his latest tweet.

In his Twitter, Trump said: “The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.”

He gave no further details, and it still is not clear what prompted his comment.

Now the Spin: However, earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia needed to “strengthen the military potential of strategic nuclear forces.”

Asked about the Tweet, Trump spokesman Jason Miller later said 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.”

Hint: Russia is not unstable in Trump’s mind, I’m a guessin’…

Trump says he wants to 'greatly strengthen and expand' U.S. nuclear capability 

Donald Trump: US must greatly expand nuclear capabilities

Trump wants the U.S. to have a lot more nukes

BTW: Has anyone around Trump had the balls to define and explain to him what Nuclear Non-Proliferation actually means?​

The Donald says: “Hey no biggie. We are going to develop many more nukes, better than anyone else I’m telling you, better than anyone, anyone.”

Oh, yeah, the possible outcome if Trump gets his way (check the two pics above).

Planet Earth during and after Trump nuke expansion plan kicks into high gear as it were.

Duck!!! What duck???