Mayor of Nelson, Nick Smith joined Simon Beaumont on 6PR’s Perth Today as he wishes to refute Donald Trump’s claim that Americans split the atom.

Hon Dr Smith told Simon Beaumont, “It’s a bit of a case of both American and Trump overreach.”

“The United States has made incredible achievements in so many fields, there is much of which America and President Trump can be proud, but they also need to be respectful.”

“The atom was clearly split by [New Zealand physicist] Ernest Rutherford’s research in 1917 and there’s no real contention about that in the scientific literature,” Hon Dr Smith continued.

Press PLAY to hear the full interview.

Hear more highlights from 6PR’s Perth Today below:

Image: Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla