Trump says North Korea has 57 'very powerful' nukes

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he intends to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He asserted that North Korea possesses 57 highly potent nuclear weapons. This statement follows Trump's directive to the Pentagon to curtail joint military drills with South Korea, citing the exercises as an inappropriate and hostile message towards Pyongyang, a nation that has consistently been unthreatening and respectful throughout Trump's presidency.

In his first term, Kim had previously labeled Trump as a "mentally deranged U.S. dotard" and threatened to employ nuclear weapons. The two leaders' relationship deteriorated following several face-to-face meetings and a brief encounter at the demilitarized zone between the Koreas, marking the first time a U.S. president had stepped onto North Korean soil.

Trump expressed confidence in Kim's well-being under his leadership, stating that their rapport is beneficial rather than detrimental. He emphasized that North Korea should not have been permitted to acquire these nuclear arms, implying that he would have prevented it had he been in office. Estimates of North Korea's nuclear arsenal have fluctuated over time, with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimating in June that the country may have around 60 warheads, with the capability to produce at least 30 additional ones.