Trump told Bob Woodward the U.S. has an 'incredible' new secret nuclear weapons system


President Trump's admission that he downplayed the coronavirus threat earlier this year despite understanding the pathogen's dangers is one of the more staggering revelations in Bob Woodward's forthcoming book about the president. But not to be lost among the fallout is the fact that Trump apparently disclosed a secret new nuclear weapons system to Woodward, The Washington Post reports.
"I have built a nuclear — a weapons system that nobody's ever had in this country before," Trump told Woodward, while reportedly discussing how close the U.S. and North Korea had come to war in 2017. "We have stuff that you haven't seen or heard about. We have stuff that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping] have never heard about before. There's nobody — what we have is incredible."
Trump is known for the occasional, exaggerated boast, but this is apparently the real deal. Woodward reports that anonymous sources confirmed the U.S. military does have a new secret weapons system, but they did not provide any details about it. They were also reportedly taken aback by Trump's willingness to disclose the information. Read more at The Washington Post.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashion
In the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Sudoku medium: September 13, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Russia slams Kyiv, hits government building
Speed Read This was Moscow's largest aerial assault since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022
-
China's Xi hosts Modi, Putin, Kim in challenge to US
Speed Read Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Asian leaders at an SCO summit
-
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 23, hits EU offices
Speed Read The strike was the second-largest since Russia invaded in 2022
-
UN votes to end Lebanon peacekeeping mission
Speed Read The Trump administration considers the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be a 'waste of money'
-
Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital kills 20
Speed Read The dead include five journalists who worked for The Associated Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
Kyiv marks independence as Russia downplays peace
Speed Read President Vladimir Putin has no plans to meet with Zelenskyy for peace talks pushed by President Donald Trump
-
Trump halts Gaza visas as Israelis protest war
Speed Read Laura Loomer voiced her concerns over injured Palestinian kids being brought to the US for treatment and a potential 'Islamic invasion'