U.S. military commanders were left speechless after President Donald Trump used his own variation of what he called the “N-word” during a meeting of top brass.
Newsweek reported that Trump on Tuesday had told the commanders that he had moved “a submarine or two” to the coast of Russia.
But Trump said he would not use the word “nuclear” to describe the vessels.
“I call it the N-word. There are two N-words, and you can’t use either of them,” Trump said during his speech to military leaders on Tuesday in Quantico, Va.
The comment, which the president appeared to make in jest, left the military leaders speechless.
Newsweek reported that Trump has used the term “N-word” to refer to nukes in the past.
In 2023, Trump appeared to associate the taboo around nuclear weapons with that surrounding the racially incendiary “N-word” during a speech in Florida in which he referred to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Trump also used the “N-word” moniker on Truth Social when referring to a dustup with top Kremlin official Dmitry Medvedev in June.
“Did I hear Former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the ‘N word’ (Nuclear!), and saying that he and other Countries would supply Nuclear Warheads to Iran?” Trump posted on June 23. “Did he really say that or, is it just a figment of my imagination? If he did say that, and, if confirmed, please let me know, IMMEDIATELY. The ‘N word’ should not be treated so casually.”
Trump ordered the submarines moved in August in a bid to deter Russia from making any hostile moves against the U.S.
On Tuesday, the president said he could not let people “throw around that word,” repeating that he felt the U.S. had better nuclear technology than any other country.