'America is building again': Key moments from Trump's nuclear press conference

President Donald Trump on Friday celebrated what he called an "historic milestone" for civilian nuclear energy, announcing that four American companies had successfully achieved criticality for advanced reactor designs by the 4 July deadline he set last year.

The achievement marks the first time in more than 50 years that privately funded advanced reactors have gone critical in the United States, a feat the administration is touting as the beginning of a domestic nuclear renaissance intended to power everything from data centres to military installations.

Speaking from the White House alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios, and the CEOs of Antares Nuclear, Valar Atomics, Deployable Energy, and Aalo Atomics, Trump credited a series of executive orders signed last year with cutting through regulatory delays that had previously stalled reactor approvals for six years or more. 

"We have the lowest price, most secure energy of any country in the world," Trump said. "That's going to change the course of this country for decades to come."

Below are the key remarks and top takeaways from the press conference:

• Saudi Arabia/Abraham Accords: Trump states that Saudi Arabia and others need to join the Abraham Accords and pursue civil nuclear energy, noting Iran no longer poses the same threat due to degraded military capabilities.
• Iran nuclear deal: Trump discusses ongoing negotiations with Iran, stating they want to make a deal but may not be ready yet. He mentions being "locked and loaded" but prefers a negotiated solution. He claims if he hadn't been elected, Israel would not exist because Iran would have developed nuclear weapons.
• Venezuela: Trump suggests 24 July, 2027 could be a good date for elections in Venezuela. He praises the economic turnaround and oil production.
• Wind turbines: Trump criticises windmills as ugly, expensive, bird-killing, and unreliable. He states his administration has restricted wind farms and hopes to have "hopefully no wind farms."
• Energy policy: Administration officials discuss shifting to reliable, affordable 24/7 energy including nuclear, hydro, geothermal, oil, gas, and coal. They note 35 gigawatts of coal capacity were kept open.
• DOJ subpoenas to journalists: Trump supports subpoenaing journalists to find leakers, particularly in national security cases, comparing it to actions taken by the Obama administration.
• Sports questions: Trump states Michael Jordan is the best basketball player ever ("LeBron is maybe the racist"). He discusses intervening in a golf rules dispute and maintains his stance on the soccer red card incident of the last World Cup.
• Tariffs/Legal challenges: Trump expresses confidence that tariffs on the European Union will withstand legal scrutiny, noting billions in revenue and $19.2 trillion in investment.
• Lettuce/Smoke: In response to a humorous question about contaminated lettuce from Mexico and smoke from Canada, Trump jokes he would "take the smoke" and mentions potential tariffs on Canada.

Read more:

• Trump says Saudi nuclear deal off without Israel recognition
• North Korea calls for U.S. allies to denuclearise first, slams NATO summit
• Iran slams U.S., demands “zero tolerance” on attacking civilian nuclear sites

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