WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President-elect Donald Trump must renounce his remarks on reinforcing US nuclear capabilities, Tierney said in statement on Friday.
"Donald Trump is no longer a private businessman. He is the President-elect of the United States. This form of nuclear saber rattling could represent the most dangerous turn in global nuclear weapons policy since the end of the Cold War," Tierney said. "Mr. Trump must immediately disavow his own statement for the sake of US and international security."
"From Ronald Reagan to George H.W. Bush to Barack Obama, there has been a bipartisan consensus that there should be a reduction in the reliance on nuclear weapons in US defense policy and a decrease in the overall stockpile of nuclear warheads. The President-elect’s statements today threaten that sound policy," Tierney continued.
By the early 2040s, the United States is expected to replace and upgrade all three legs of its nuclear triad, amounting to costs that some experts have put at close to $1 trillion.
Nuclear weapons remain a key component of the US national defense strategy and officials have maintained their commitment to protecting the nuclear deterrent.
