Transcript: Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," May 17, 2026
Summary
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the United States faces a dangerous time because of nuclear threats from both Russia and China. He explained that China is growing stronger economically, militarily, and technologically, but the U.S. still leads in many areas. Gates also said that recent talks between President Trump and China aimed mostly to keep relations stable and avoid worsening trade conflicts.Key Facts
- Robert Gates called the current period very dangerous, with nuclear-armed rivals in Europe and Asia.
- China and Russia together have almost twice as many nuclear warheads as the U.S. when China's modernization is complete.
- China has great manufacturing power and uses many tools like trade and communication to influence the world globally.
- The U.S. military currently has more power than China, but China is catching up, especially in shipbuilding.
- The U.S. still holds economic and technological advantages over China.
- Both countries have domestic problems that affect their power, including economic and population challenges.
- The recent meeting between President Trump and Xi Jinping focused on keeping trade peace and avoiding escalation of economic conflict.
- The meeting resulted in setting up working groups to discuss artificial intelligence and tariffs, but few concrete agreements.
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