Trump Brags US Is 'Bigger' Nuclear Power Than Russia After Putin Issued Nuke Threat

Former President Donald Trump has a reminder for Russian President Vladimir Putin after the latter put his nuclear weapons on alert over the war in Ukraine; ours are bigger than yours.

On Friday, during an appearance on the Republican National Committee’s "Real America" YouTube show, Trump was asked about President Joe Biden’s handling of relations with Russia as well as the current war in Ukraine. The ex-president described Biden as being “pushed around” by Putin because of his hesitancy to engage militarily over Ukraine for fear of nuclear escalation.

Trump, who has in the past been effusive in his praise of Putin to the chagrin of his Republican colleagues, also felt the need to offer a reminder to the Russian leader that the U.S. has a superior nuclear force -- even if that's not the case.

“[Putin] says ‘don’t get involved, don't get near the fly zone, we’re nuclear power – don't get near us, we’re a nuclear power,’" Trump told his hosts. “Well, we’re a nuclear power, too – we’re a bigger nuclear power.”

Yet Trump’s claim does not entirely check out. According to the Federation of American Scientists, the U.S. possesses an estimated 5,428 nuclear weapons, while Russia is believed to operate a total of 5,977 nuclear warheads.

Trump was referencing Putin’s order on Feb. 28 to his military to place Russian nuclear forces on “high alert” over what he said were threats to Russia from the West. Putin warned the West against any interference in his invasion of Ukraine lest they invite “ consequences…never seen in history.”

The fear of a nuclear escalation between the U.S. and Russia remains a serious risk that is guiding the response from Biden, his administration and his European partners towards tailoring their actions to Putin in ways that lessen the chance of escalation or miscalculation.

On Thursday, Ukraine’s President Volodomyr Zelensky blew off Putin’s nuclear threat as a “bluff,” but U.S. intelligence chiefs testifying before Congress a day earlier warned that caution should be taken in abundance.

“I also believe that when he says something, we should listen very, very carefully and maybe take him at his word. So this question is the one that analysts are pondering right now, and I think we really do some more work on it,” said Army Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.