WEBVTT

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TEN WELKER, WITH THE STORY      
THIS MORNING.                   

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HI, KRISTEN.                    
>> Reporter: GOOD MORNING TO    

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YOU.                            
NBC NEWS HAS LEARNED FROM THREE 

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OFFICIALS AT A WIDE-RANGING     
PENTAGON MEETING THIS SUMMER,   

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THAT THE PRESIDENT CALLED FOR A 
DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE        

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NATION'S NUCLEAR ARSENAL,       
RATTLING SOME OF HIS OWN TOP    

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ADVISERS.                       
AN ACTUAL INCREASE WOULD VIOLATE

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NUCLEAR ARMS CONTROL TREATIES   
GOING BACK TO RONALD REAGAN.    

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THAT MEETING TAKING PLACE RIGHT 
BEFORE THE SECRETARY OF STATE   

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CALLED THE PRESIDENT A MORON.   
ALL THIS COMES AS THE PRESIDENT 

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IS LOCKED IN A HIGH-STAKES      
STANDOFF WITH NORTH KOREA.      

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THIS MORNING, NBC NEWS HAS      
LEARNED STRIKING NEW DETAILS    

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ABOUT A JULY 20th MEETING AT THE
PENTAGON, THAT PROCEEDED        

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SECRETARY OF STATE REX TILLERSON
CALLS THE PRESIDENT A MORON.    

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AT THE TIME, THE PRESIDENT SAID 
THE MEETING, WHICH INCLUDED THE 

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DEFENSE SECRETARY AND VICE      
PRESIDENT, CABINET MEMBERS AND  

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TOP MILITARY ADVISERS, WAS VERY 
GOOD.                           

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>> TREMENDOUS PEOPLE.           
PENTAGON, NOTHING LIKE IT.      

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>> Reporter: BUT THREE OFFICIALS
DESCRIBE A MEETING THAT WAS, AT 

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TIMES, TENSE.                   
ONE KEY MOMENT WHEN THE         

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PRESIDENT TOLD HIS NATIONAL     
SECURITY TEAM, HE WANTED TO     

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EXPAND THE U.S. NUCLEAR ARSENAL 
TO WHAT AMOUNTED TO TEN-TIMES   

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ITS CURRENT LEVEL.              
THE CURRENT NUMBER OF U.S. NUKES

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IS 4,000.                       
ACCORDING TO SOURCES, THE       

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PRESIDENT WAS SHOWN A CHART OF  
THE HISTORY OF THE NUCLEAR      

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ARSENAL, WHICH PEAKED IN THE    
1960s AT 43,000 WEAPONS.        

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WHILE SOME IN THE MEETING DIDN'T
TAKE THE PRESIDENT LITERALLY,   

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ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS IN THE   
ROOM, BRIEFERS EXPLAINED TO     

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MR. TRUMP WHY EXPANDING         
NUCLEAR'S NUCLEAR STOCKPILE     

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ISN'T FEASIBLE.                 
THE U.S. IS NOT PLANNING TO     

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ALTER THE SIZE OF ITS NUCLEAR   
ARSENAL.                        

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IT COULD NOT ONLY BREAK WITH    
U.S. DOCTRINE, IT WOULD BREAK A 

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NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL         
TREATIES.                       

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SINCE HIS CANDIDACY, MR. TRUMP  
HAS BEEN INCONSISTENT WITH      

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RECO                            
REGARDS TO HIS STANCE ON NUCLEAR

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WEAPONS.                        
IN SOME INSTANCES, HE SEEMED    

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OPENED TO THE IDEA.             
>> YOU SAID, IT'S FINE, YOU GET 

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NUCLEAR WEAPONS.                
AND SAUDI ARABIA SAYS, WE WANT  

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THEM, TOO.                      
>> IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ANYWAY. 

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IT'S ONLY A QUESTION OF TIME.   
THEY'RE GOING TO START HAVING   

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THEM.                           
OR WE HAVE TO GET RID OF THEMHE 

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ENTIRELY.                       
>> Reporter: SHORTLY BEFORE HIS 

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INAUGURATION, MR. TRUMP TWEETED,
THE UNITED STATES MUST GREATLY  

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STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND ITS       
NUCLEAR CAPABILITY, UNTIL SUCH  

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TIME AS THE WORLD COMES TO ITS  
SENSES REGARDING NUCLEARS.      

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ALL THIS COMES AMID MOUNTING    
TENSIONS WITH NORTH KOREA OVER  

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ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM.            
A SHOW OF FORCE.                

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U.S. BOMBERS FLYING NEAR THE SEA
OF JAPAN, ALONGSIDE JAPANESE AND

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SOUTH KOREAN AIRCRAFT.          
PRESIDENT TRUMP MEETING WITH HIS

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TEAM TO DISCUSS THE CRISIS.     
THE DEFENSE SECRETARY STRESSING 

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DIPLOMACY THIS WEEK, WHILE      
CAUTIONING ALL OPTIONS WILL BE  

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ON THE TABLE.                   
>> YOU HAVE TO BE READY TO      

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ENSURE WE HAVE MILITARY OPTIONS 
THAT OUR PRESIDENT CAN EMPLOY IF

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NEEDED.                         
>> Reporter: THE WHITE HOUSE    

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WOULDN'T COMMENT ON THE RECORD  
FOR THIS STORY.                 

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ONE WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL        
DOWNPLAYED ANY TENSION          

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SURROUNDING NUCLEAR WEAPONS AT  
THE JULY 20th MEETING SAYING THE

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NUCLEAR ARSENAL WAS NOT A PRY   
                                

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PRIMARY TOPIC OF THE MEETING.   
THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE      

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PRESIDENT ARE