‘Casually tweeting out national secrets’: Internet stunned as Trump exposes previously unknown US nukes
In an apparent attempt to “one-up” and embarrass Russia many are wondering if President Donald Trump just tweeted out U.S. national nuclear secrets. Seven people died last week during a “failed test of Russia’s SSC-X-9 Skyfall, a nuclear-powered cruise missile still in development,” as Vox reported. One expert called it a flying nuclear reactor.
President Trump, who has been tweeting up a storm ever since he kicked off his 10-ay August vacation at his golf course in Bedminster, NJ, apparently decided late Monday afternoon was a good time to respond – not with condolences for the lives lost, but by gloating.
“The United States is learning much from the failed missile explosion in Russia,” Trump tweeted, needlessly. “We have similar, though more advanced, technology. The Russian ‘Skyfall’ explosion has people worried about the air around the facility, and far beyond. Not good!”
Some were quick to realize Trump at least sounded like he was (once again) revealing national secrets via Twitter.
Assuming he's not lying, Trump would seem to be casually tweeting out national secrets. https://t.co/7NiWD19aXh— Chris O'Leary | Baseball + Critical Thinking (@Chris O'Leary | Baseball + Critical Thinking) 1565646080
Here’s the Communications Director for U.S. Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), who sits on the House Ways and Means Committee and the Science Committee.
Tweeting about the status of secret nuclear weapons research, as one does https://t.co/wpZQ5rjRl4— Aaron Fritschner (@Aaron Fritschner) 1565645368
Some experts chastised the president while appearing to try to assure the world Trump was basically bluffing.
Here’s a professor of international relations and national security at the U.S. Naval War College:
It is a bad idea for the President to tell the world the U.S. has secret nuclear powered super-weapons and that we'… https://t.co/a6zcaFvuFj— David Burbach (@David Burbach) 1565646021
Here’s a noted nuclear weapons expert:
This is bizarre. We do not have a nuclear-powered cruise missile program. We tried to build one, in the 1960's, but… https://t.co/FdyFERN2Kg— Joe Cirincione (@Joe Cirincione) 1565645815
There were other responses from some notables.
Washington Correspondent for TIME magazine:
Did the President just confirm the existence of a missile system with mini-nuclear reactors aboard, eliminating dis… https://t.co/58BtrW99Tc— Phil Elliott (@Phil Elliott) 1565645388
ACLU attorney:
Reuters DC national security correspondent:
Huh? Is he saying the US has secretly developed a nuclear-powered cruise missile? Project Pluto was canceled in Jul… https://t.co/pP0GXyQ4Wm— Jonathan Landay (@Jonathan Landay) 1565645716
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