During Tuesday’s CNN town hall, Donald Trump repeated his assertion that he might support allowing Japan and South Korea to develop nuclear weapons.
Anderson Cooper asked about that along with Trump’s concern about the proliferation of nuclear weapons. “Isn’t that completely contradictory?”
Trump’s answer was unclear, so Cooper asked again. Trump then talked about the national debt and how America pays for Japan’s “military needs.”
Cooper added, “it’s been a U.S. policy though for decades to prevent Japan from getting nuclear weapons.”
Trump responded, “can I be honest with ya? Maybe it’s gonna have to be time to change.”
Cooper tried to clarify. “So some proliferation is ok?”
Trump replied, “no, no. Not some. I hate proliferation. I hate nuclear more than any.”
Cooper interjected, noting the two stances Trump provided were contradictory.
Trump later explained, “At some point we have to say, you know what? We’re better off if Japan protects itself against this maniac in North Korea. We’re better off, frankly, if South Korea is going to start to protect itself.”
Recently, a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea said of Trump’s stance, “he has no idea what he is talking about.”
Japan’s foreign minister said, “it is impossible that Japan will arm itself with nuclear weapons.”
