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President Donald Trump said on Thursday he wants to build up the U.S. nuclear arsenal to ensure it is at the "top of the pack," saying the United States has fallen behind in its atomic weapons capacity. In a Reuters interview, Trump also complained about Russian deployment of a cruise missile in violation of an arms control treaty and said he would raise the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin when and if they meet. On another front, Trump said China could solve the national security challenge posed by North Korea "very easily if they want to," ratcheting up pressure...

I've read and participated in many threads here discussing Donald Trump as the last chance to correct the course of this country. To put America first, to cut waste, drain the swamp, etc. etc.. Many have said that he is "our last hope". So my question is this: What happens if he loses?

Trump's foreign policy often gets discussed as isolationist for its skepticism of allies and foreign entanglements, or as realist for its obsession with self-interest and with cold cost-benefit. In either case, the theory is meant to explain why Trump so disdains virtually every facet of America's international role, from its alliance networks to its foreign military bases and security guarantees. But the more you hear from Trump, the clearer it becomes that something else is going on: He either does not believe in or simply does not understand the international order that has governed the world since the end of...

Sam Nunberg, a former political adviser for Donald Trump, has endorsed Ted Cruz in the Republican primary, blasting his former boss for lacking a "coherent political ideology.""Cruz is a Reagan Conservative. Donald Trump does not have a coherent political ideology — if anything, I would describe him as a Chris Christie Republican," Nunberg said in a statement to POLITICO Playbook on Monday.-snip-"When did I decide that I could no longer support Trump? Last fall, when he did not have any idea of what the nuclear triad is in a debate. I was concerned but I figured that he would bulk...

After months of responding to Donald Trump's attacks by deflecting them, joking about them or just plain ignoring them, Ted Cruz struck back late Tuesday with a stream of pointed criticism directed at the GOP front-runner. At events in New Hampshire and in radio interviews, Cruz took direct aim at Trump on several fronts: tying the billionaire to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, questioning his ability to win a general election, casting doubt on his ability to serve as commander in chief and disputing his "New York values." The swiftness and ferocity of the attacks is striking for Cruz, who...

Thursday on MSNBC, the former Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA), also the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said in the presidential election debates, any Democrat,Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)16%, Martin O'Malley, or Hillary Clinton will "expose" Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's "lack of knowledge about things like the nuclear triad." Rendell said, "I think any Democrat,Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley,one-on-one with Donald Trump would be very advantageous. Donald does well when he controls the agenda. When speaking to a Trump rally. Even in the debates, nine, ten candidates, you know, moderators don't get to press him on substantive issues well. But...

The rapid development and deployment of cruise and ballistic missile capabilities in recent years has raised the security stakes on the South Asian subcontinent. The three major nuclear states—India, China and Pakistan—have been sharpening their respective missile capabilities and stockpiling a growing arsenal, while simultaneously developing/acquiring ballistic missile defense (BMD) capability to defend against potential threats. China has also developed a potent nuclear triad (i.e. strategic bombers, land-based missiles, and ballistic missile submarines) that Pakistan may be able to acquire given the close relations between Beijing and Islamabad, India will soon achieve this capability after the nuclear submarine INS Arihant...

Top Democratic allies of President Barack Obama called Thursday for quick Senate ratification of a US-Russia treaty committing the former Cold War foes to major nuclear arms cuts. "This is too important to delay," said Democratic Senator John Kerry, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee tasked with taking up the pact before a full vote by the entire chamber. Kerry said he would work with the panel's top Republican, Richard Lugar, after the Obama administration submits the full treaty "in early May" to hold hearings and "see that this historic treaty is ratified this year." Obama has called on...

The new START treaty that would cut the number of U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons could also prompt the United States to trim the bomber leg of its nuclear force. Limits that reduce the number of deployed "launchers" to 700 could encourage U.S. nuclear policy makers to rely more on land-based and sea-based ballistic missiles and less on B-2 and B-52 bombers, said Tom Collina, research director at the Arms Control Association. "The bomber leg of the triad is not what you think about when you think about survivability and quick response," he said. At present, the United States has...