Donald Trump Orders Nuclear Testing immediately resume to match programs in Russia and China, marking a sharp escalation in global nuclear tensions.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said: “Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.” The message was published less than an hour before his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday their first encounter since 2019 aimed at easing trade tensions.
The United States has not conducted a full nuclear test since 1992, and neither China nor Russia is known to have done so in decades. Trump’s call for testing “on an equal basis” left unclear whether he was referring to underground detonations, simulated experiments, or other demonstrations of military capability.
Since 1998, only North Korea has carried out confirmed explosive nuclear tests. Other nuclear powers, including the US, have relied on computer simulations, subcritical tests, and missile trials to ensure the reliability of their arsenals. Pentagon officials declined to comment on Trump’s announcement.
Trump Orders Nuclear Testing
Speaking later aboard Air Force One, Trump said he would still “like to see denuclearization,” noting that Washington was “talking to Russia about that.” He added that China could be included in such discussions “if we do something,” without elaborating.
China’s foreign ministry responded cautiously, urging the US to uphold the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and “take actions that contribute to regional peace, rather than the opposite.” Spokesperson Guo Jiakun reiterated Beijing’s commitment to “peaceful development and defensive national security policies.”
The announcement follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim last weekend that Moscow had successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Putin also said Russia had tested its Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo, designed to devastate coastal areas through radioactive tsunamis. Trump criticized Moscow’s actions as “not appropriate,” though Russian officials said the US had been informed in advance.
The timing of Trump’s nuclear declaration coinciding with rising US-Russia tensions over Ukraine and renewed Chinese assertiveness adds to fears of a new arms race.
Trump Orders Nuclear Testing
Trump also incorrectly asserted that the US possesses more nuclear weapons than any other country. According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Russia currently leads with over 5,500 warheads, compared to 5,044 in the US arsenal.
The last full-scale US nuclear test, code-named Divider, took place on September 23, 1992, in Nevada. Then-President George H. W. Bush imposed a moratorium on underground testing later that year, though the US still maintains the ability to resume testing at the Nevada National Security Site. (source)
In response to Trump’s post, Nevada congresswoman Dina Titus announced on X (formerly Twitter): “Absolutely not. I’ll be introducing legislation to put a stop to this.”
Despite repeated calls by Washington and Moscow to curb nuclear proliferation, tangible progress remains elusive. The Kremlin has also condemned Trump’s push for a missile defense system dubbed the “Golden Dome,” which he claims would make the US “impervious to attack.”
During his first term, Trump reportedly sought to expand the US nuclear arsenal “tenfold.” In December 2016, he tweeted:
“The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.”
