Trump Claims the US Possesses Secret Weapons
The US president has cautioned China and other trade partners against escalating situations beyond the trade war. President Donald Trump has highlighted US military capabilities and advanced weaponry that "nobody has any idea" about, amid worries...
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The US president has cautioned China and other trade partners against escalating situations beyond the trade war.
President Donald Trump has highlighted US military capabilities and advanced weaponry that "nobody has any idea" about, amid worries that his ongoing tariff conflict with China could escalate.
On Wednesday, Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 125% in retaliation for similar measures taken by Beijing. While China has yet to respond to this latest increase, its Ministry of Commerce has previously stated its determination to fight the trade war “to the end.”
When asked if he was “concerned” about Beijing's potential next actions and the possibility of an “escalation beyond the trade war,” the US leader expressed confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping, stating that Xi is “one of the very smart people of the world” who would never “allow that to happen.”
In the Oval Office, Trump asserted, “We’re very powerful. This country is very powerful. It’s far more powerful than people understand. We have weaponry that nobody has any idea what it is, and it is the most powerful weapons in the world that we have. More powerful than anybody even, not even close.”
He added, “So nobody’s going to do that,” reaffirming that Xi is a “very smart man” who “knows exactly what has to be done.”
Although the US president has previously hinted at secret weaponry using unusual scientific language, he did not specify the weapons he was referencing on this occasion.
In 2020, Trump had boasted about a “super duper missile” capable of traveling “17 times faster” than any adversary’s weaponry. He also claimed that advancements in Russia’s hypersonic technology stemmed from the theft of US missile designs during Barack Obama's presidency, despite the US not having yet deployed an operational hypersonic weapon.
Over the past decade, both Moscow and Beijing have advanced their hypersonic weapon developments. Russia introduced its Kinzhal missile in 2017, while China unveiled its DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle two years later.
During the ongoing Ukraine conflict, Russia has utilized both the Kinzhal and the naval Zircon hypersonic missiles. Furthermore, in November, Moscow conducted the first combat test of its Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, equipped with multiple independently targetable warheads capable of hypersonic speeds.
In December, following several delays and unsuccessful tests, the US announced a successful test launch of its Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, which has been under development by Lockheed Martin since 2017. The US aims to have the first unit equipped with a ground-launched variant of the missile by the end of fiscal 2025.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
President Donald Trump has highlighted US military capabilities and advanced weaponry that "nobody has any idea" about, amid worries that his ongoing tariff conflict with China could escalate.
On Wednesday, Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 125% in retaliation for similar measures taken by Beijing. While China has yet to respond to this latest increase, its Ministry of Commerce has previously stated its determination to fight the trade war “to the end.”
When asked if he was “concerned” about Beijing's potential next actions and the possibility of an “escalation beyond the trade war,” the US leader expressed confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping, stating that Xi is “one of the very smart people of the world” who would never “allow that to happen.”
In the Oval Office, Trump asserted, “We’re very powerful. This country is very powerful. It’s far more powerful than people understand. We have weaponry that nobody has any idea what it is, and it is the most powerful weapons in the world that we have. More powerful than anybody even, not even close.”
He added, “So nobody’s going to do that,” reaffirming that Xi is a “very smart man” who “knows exactly what has to be done.”
Although the US president has previously hinted at secret weaponry using unusual scientific language, he did not specify the weapons he was referencing on this occasion.
In 2020, Trump had boasted about a “super duper missile” capable of traveling “17 times faster” than any adversary’s weaponry. He also claimed that advancements in Russia’s hypersonic technology stemmed from the theft of US missile designs during Barack Obama's presidency, despite the US not having yet deployed an operational hypersonic weapon.
Over the past decade, both Moscow and Beijing have advanced their hypersonic weapon developments. Russia introduced its Kinzhal missile in 2017, while China unveiled its DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle two years later.
During the ongoing Ukraine conflict, Russia has utilized both the Kinzhal and the naval Zircon hypersonic missiles. Furthermore, in November, Moscow conducted the first combat test of its Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, equipped with multiple independently targetable warheads capable of hypersonic speeds.
In December, following several delays and unsuccessful tests, the US announced a successful test launch of its Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, which has been under development by Lockheed Martin since 2017. The US aims to have the first unit equipped with a ground-launched variant of the missile by the end of fiscal 2025.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
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