Donald Trump challenges world to nuclear arms race

Donald Trump challenged the world to a nuclear arms race this morning, after calling for the US to “greatly” expand its weapons arsenal.

He told MSNBC: “Let it be an arms race. We will outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all.”     It follows widespread concern over a tweet the President elect sent last night, saying: “The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.”

There has been no explanation of which countries he was referring to in either the initial tweet or this morning's comments.

A Trump spokesperson later explained Mr Trump was “referring to the threat of nuclear proliferation and the critical need to prevent it — particularly to and among terrorist organizations and unstable and rogue regimes.” But later Trump press secretary Sean Spicer furiously back-pedalled from the remarks.

He said there would be no arms race “because other countries would come to their senses”