U.S. President Donald Trump admitted that Washington is a “threat” to China while highlighting America’s nuclear arsenal, capable of destroying the world 150 times. He discussed China’s nuclear expansion, rare earth minerals, and trade tensions, emphasizing competitive global relations and the role of tariffs and military tools.
A few days after urging an end to the trade war with China, U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged that Washington also poses a “threat” to Beijing.
In an interview with CBS News, the Republican president said China “always keeps an eye on us.” He also highlighted the strength of America’s nuclear arsenal, claiming that the U.S. possesses enough weapons to “destroy the world 150 times over.”
Trump’s comments come amid U.S. intelligence reports accusing China of infiltrating parts of the country’s power and water supply systems, as well as stealing intellectual property and personal data of American citizens.
When asked about these allegations, Trump replied, “We’re a threat to them too. Many of the things you mentioned—we do the same with them. It’s a very competitive world, especially between China and the United States.” He added, “Just as we monitor them, they monitor us. But I think we’re doing pretty well. I believe if we work together, we can become bigger, better, and stronger—not just focus on defeating them.”
During the interview, Trump also pointed out that China is rapidly expanding its nuclear capabilities. “We have more nuclear weapons than any other country,” he said. “Russia comes second. China is behind, but in five years, they may catch up. They’re moving quickly, and I think we need to address nuclear disarmament.” He added that he had discussed this issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Nuclear disarmament is a crucial matter,” Trump continued. “Our arsenal can destroy the world 150 times. Russia has many nuclear weapons, and China has quite a few as well.” Defending his decision to authorize U.S. nuclear testing, he added, “China and Russia are also testing their weapons—you just don’t know about it.”
Trump claimed that the U.S. is performing “very well” against China but acknowledged that Beijing wields influence through its control of rare earth minerals, which affects American interests. “We were doing very well against China,” he said. “Then they realized they needed to push back, using their advantage—the rare earths. They’ve been stockpiling and preserving them for 25 to 30 years.”
These minerals are vital for the U.S., used in everything from computers to weapons production. Trump added, “They leveraged that against us, and we used other tools against them—like aircraft parts. That’s significant. They have hundreds of Boeing planes, and we stopped supplying them parts. Maybe both sides acted a little irrationally, but ultimately, the biggest weapon was tariffs.”