Suggests Japan and South Korea should get nuclear weapons, breaking decades of U.S. policy

In a CNN town hall with Anderson Cooper, Trump suggested that Japan and South Korea should develop their own nuclear weapons to defend themselves against North Korea, arguing the U.S. could not afford to protect them. He stated, "It's going to happen anyway," and when pressed on the dangers of proliferation, dismissed the concern, saying, "Wouldn't you rather in a certain sense have Japan have nuclear weapons?" The comments upended decades of bipartisan nonproliferation policy and alarmed allies, signaling a transactional view of alliances where nuclear arms races were acceptable cost-saving measures.

"It’s going to happen anyway. ... It’s only a question of time." — CNN town hall regarding Japan and South Korea developing nuclear arsenals