President Trump in a tweet Wednesday said the U.S. has modernized its nuclear arsenal and will always be the “most powerful nation in the world,” though he expressed a desire not to be forced to use the weapons.

“My first order as President was to renovate and modernize our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before….,” he tweeted, continuing, “…Hopefully we will never have to use this power, but there will never be a time that we are not the most powerful nation in the world!”

Mr. Trump received criticism Tuesday for what some believed to be ratcheting up the rhetoric with North Korea. The president said the United States would respond with “fire and fury” if North Korea were to provoke the United States.

My first order as President was to renovate and modernize our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2017

…Hopefully we will never have to use this power, but there will never be a time that we are not the most powerful nation in the world! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2017

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