News
‘I Have Stopped Nuclear Wars’: Trump Defends Letting US-Russia Arms Treaty Expire
President Donald Trump is defending allowing the nation’s last nuclear treaty with Russia to expire by declaring he’s already “stopped” nuclear wars between several countries. Experts and advocates warn that the treaty was the last barrier against a nuclear arms race.
“As of today, for the first time in over half a century, the US and Russia don’t have a legally binding arms control treaty in place anymore,” observed Wall Street Journal national security reporter Robbie Gramer.
“Without the New START treaty,” NBC News reported on Thursday, “which caps the number of deployed nuclear warheads at 1,550 on each side, there will be no limits on the American and Russian arsenals.”
“Not only are there no discussions between Washington and Moscow on what comes next,” NBC added, “but also officials from both countries are left guessing about the other side’s capabilities and intentions, increasing the possibility of misunderstandings and an unrestricted nuclear arms race not seen since the 1960s, experts and officials warn.”
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Former President Barack Obama warned that allowing the treaty to expire “would pointlessly wipe out decades of diplomacy, and could spark another arms race that makes the world less safe.”
Former Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, called it a “tragic day for global security,” and noted that “the world is now a more dangerous place.”
Richard Stengel, a former Under Secretary of State during the Obama administration, warned: “Sure, the START treaty has its flaws, but it’s the last restraint on a new nuclear arms race.”
“Letting it die doesn’t do anyone any good,” he continued. “The US president’s bellicosity and cavalier attitude to nuclear weapons and NATO has caused many new nations to contemplate building their own nuclear arsenal. That’s also bad news. The math is pretty simple: the more weapons, the more danger.”
President Donald Trump, however, appeared unperturbed.
“The United States is the most powerful Country in the World,” he declared. “I completely rebuilt its Military in my First Term, including new and many refurbished nuclear weapons. I also added Space Force and now, continue to rebuild our Military at levels never seen before. We are even adding Battleships, which are 100 times more powerful than the ones that roamed the Seas during World War II.”
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“I have stopped Nuclear Wars from breaking out across the World between Pakistan and India, Iran and Israel, and Russia and Ukraine,” he claimed.
Trump then appeared to suggest that Russia has been violating the treaty, arguing that therefore it made sense to allow it to expire. And he suggested that a new nuclear treaty should be crafted — although he did not say when.
“Rather than extend ‘NEW START’ (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future.”
For the first time in more than half a century, there are no limits on the world’s two largest atomic arsenals. The sole remaining nuclear arms treaty in the world, known as New START, is expiring between the U.S. and Russia, and arms control advocates fear a new arms race.… pic.twitter.com/P2eqsTi9WC
— PBS News (@NewsHour) February 4, 2026
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President Donald Trump is facing criticism and mockery after admitting he was “shocked” that Iran fought back against Operation Epic Fury.
“Trump just admitted publicly that his administration underestimated the Iranian response to his attack,” The Washington Post’s Josh Rogin reported.
During a meeting of the board governing the Kennedy Center, Trump said, “look what happened. In the last two weeks, they weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East. Those missiles were set to go after them. So they hit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait. Nobody expected that. We were shocked.”
Focusing on Trump’s “shocked” remark, some critics blasted the president, once again, for what many have previously said is a Commander-in-Chief who was unprepared to go to war against Iran.
The New Yorker’s Susan Glasser called Trump’s comments a “Remarkable admission.”
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Former Republican U.S. Rep. Justin Amash declared, “We are governed by complete morons.”
Podcaster Clint Russell noted, “Just FYI, this is the EXACT reason our generals have consistently advised against a war with Iran. Even Charlie Kirk had laid this all out on his show a couple years ago. Iran was no threat to America but they were fully capable of destroying the global economy by striking oil facilities and transit throughout the region.”
Robert Manning, a Distinguished Fellow in Global Foresight at the nonpartisan Stimson Center, wrote: “If so, he was the only one surprised. Strategic planners have war games this for 40 years. Hard to believe JCS [Joint Chiefs of Staff] didn’t advise Trump this was likely.”
“I’m pretty confident every war plan US has ever done in last 30 years gaming out this conflict was based on expectation that Iran could in fact [and] would in fact do this,” noted The Nation’s Jeet Heer.
“Every institution built to prevent exactly this outcome existed, was bypassed, and we are now watching the president express shock at conclusions that were already written in the classified assessments he didn’t read,” observed Christine Villaverde, the chairwoman of Anchoring Democracy.
Trump: They weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East. So they hit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait. Nobody expected that. We were shocked pic.twitter.com/4bAHIat1kI
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 16, 2026
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Image via Reuters
A prominent Republican senator is denouncing his own party while lamenting the lack of an official presidential endorsement in the highly contentious Texas Republican Senate runoff election.
Agreeing that it is a mistake for President Donald Trump to withhold his endorsement of either Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton or U.S. Senator John Cornyn, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) warned, “I think the more time we spend millions of dollars with Republican-on-Republican violence, Democrats are in the marketing department, loving the idea of a competitive runoff.”
“I get tired of Republicans being lazy and unstrategic,” he told CNN’s Manu Raju, appearing to suggest there are other ways for one of the candidates to pull ahead.
“People on my side of the aisle, and people at the far right of the political spectrum, are trying to swing for the fences, and they’re not gonna succeed,” he warned.
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A runoff election between Cornyn and Paxton will take place on May 26, and the president has yet to endorse either contender.
Reports suggest a Cornyn endorsement is more likely, although Paxton has been a reliable MAGA supporter. Trump has even suggested that whichever candidate does not get his backing should quit the race entirely, clearing the way for the presumptive nominee to battle the Democratic nominee, James Talarico.
“The Republican Primary Race for the United States Senate in the Great State of Texas,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, on March 4, “cannot, for the good of the Party, and our Country, itself, be allowed to go on any longer. IT MUST STOP NOW! We have an easy to beat, Radical Left Opponent, and we have to TOTALLY FOCUS on putting him away, quickly and decisively!”
He vowed to make his endorsement “soon,” but has yet to do so.
Each passing day gives Talarico more time to campaign and build his war chest as the two GOP contenders spend their time and money battling each other.
Thom Tillis says it’s mistake for Trump to withold endorsement in #txsen over Save Act, rails on intraparty feud
“The more time we spend millions of dollars with Republican on Republican violence, Democrats” will benefit.
“I get tired of Republicans being lazy and unstrategic.” pic.twitter.com/KpH7LYoqNE
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 16, 2026
READ MORE: Gas Prices Near $4 in These Five States
Image via Reuters
Gas prices are continuing to substantially increase, with five states now hovering near $4 a gallon and several others seeing sharp increases as President Donald Trump’s war in Iran enters its 17th day.
“Big gas price hikes just now starting to happen in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri today, which will likely push the national average to $3.75-$3.80 by mid-week,” reports Patrick De Haan, the head of Petroleum Analysis at GasBuddy.
But, he also notes that Michigan and the Chicago area are already seeing $3.99 per gallon as of Monday. Indiana drivers are seeing $3.89, and Ohio and Kentucky are seeing $3.79 per gallon.
De Haan directly attributes the increases to the summer gasoline changeover and the ongoing Iran situation.
“The national average is up 80.0 cents from a month ago and is 66.1 cents per gallon higher than a year ago,” WANE reports, citing GasBuddy’s data.
Drivers should not expect to see prices come down significantly anytime soon.
“Until we see a meaningful resumption of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, upward pressure on fuel prices is likely to persist,” De Haan said. “At the same time, seasonal forces are beginning to intensify as several regions complete the transition to summer gasoline, creating a double headwind that could continue driving pump prices higher in the weeks ahead.”
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Kristi Noem at Center of Push for DOJ Perjury Probe: Report
‘I Don’t Wanna Say That’: Trump Dodges on Boots on the Ground
Gas Prices Near $4 in These Five States
‘Lazy and Unstrategic’: GOP Senator Slams ‘Republican on Republican Violence’
‘He Was the Only One’: Trump Mocked for Declaring Iran’s Moves ‘Shocked’ Him
‘He Was the Only One’: Trump Mocked for Declaring Iran’s Moves ‘Shocked’ Him
‘Lazy and Unstrategic’: GOP Senator Slams ‘Republican on Republican Violence’
Gas Prices Near $4 in These Five States
‘I Don’t Wanna Say That’: Trump Dodges on Boots on the Ground
Kristi Noem at Center of Push for DOJ Perjury Probe: Report
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