Trump's bizarre joke: Nuclear missiles on White House roof
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump recently made a controversial remark about placing nuclear missiles on the White House roof. The comment was made on August 5, just a day before the world observed the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. The bombing, which killed around 140,000 people, was carried out by an atomic bomb named "Little Boy."
Impromptu walk
Trump's missile joke
The incident occurred when Trump was taking an impromptu walk on the roof of the White House briefing room. When reporters asked him what he was building, he replied, "Missiles... nuclear missiles." He then pointed toward the White House roof and made a strange gesture with his arms, mimicking a missile launch. This gesture has drawn comparisons to Elon Musk's "Nazi salute" in January.
Rising tensions
US-Russia tensions escalate
The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions between the United States and Russia, and as Trump drags India into the mix, imposing a 25 per cent tariff and a penalty for purchasing Russian oil. Recently, Trump ordered nuclear submarines to be deployed near Russia after a social media spat with Russian former president Dmitry Medvedev. The exchange included serious threats about Russia's Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilities.
Renovation plans
Trump's plans for the White House renovation
Interestingly, Trump had earlier announced plans to renovate the White House to look like his Mar-a-Lago estate. He also intends to build a new 90,000 square foot ballroom at the cost of $200 million. This context makes his nuclear missile joke all the more perplexing, and videos of the interaction are going viral on social media.
Twitter Post
The interaction between Trump, press
President Trump is currently walking along the roof above the White House press briefing room.
— Taylor Popielarz (@TaylorPopielarz) August 5, 2025
He tells all of us reporters gathered down below that he’s figuring out more ways to spend his money (presumably on renovations?). pic.twitter.com/VpgUDEKMmr