Trump also rebuked Medvedev in July, accusing him of throwing around the "N (nuclear) word" after the Russian official criticised U.S. strikes on Iran and said "a number of countries" were ready to supply Iran with nuclear warheads.

President Donald Trump has ordered the repositioning of two U.S. nuclear submarines. Friday's decision comes after what he calls "highly provocative statements" by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Talk of mounting nuclear readiness towards Russia could overshadow more trifling domestic matters, like the Epstein scandal, for instance.