WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he has directed the Defense Department to “immediately” begin testing nuclear weapons “on an equal basis” with other nations.
“Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” Trump wrote on Truth Social ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. “That process will begin immediately.”
The United States last conducted a confirmed nuclear test in 1992, when President George H. W. Bush declared a moratorium on underground testing. Though inactive for decades, the U.S. still maintains the ability to resume testing at a federal site in Nevada.
U.S. Could Resume testing in Nevada
China’s last known nuclear test occurred in 1996. Russia’s recent tests have focused on delivery systems rather than detonating nuclear warheads.
Trump, who has recently toughened his rhetoric about U.S. military strength, said the decision was about restoring parity with Moscow and Beijing.
“The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country,” he wrote, adding, “Russia is second, and China is a distant third — but will be even within five years.”
NBC News has asked the White House to clarify whether Trump was referring to nuclear weapons themselves or nuclear-capable systems.
Speaking later aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters his order was prompted by the actions of other nations. “They seem to all be nuclear testing,” he said. “We don’t do testing — we halted it many years ago. But with others doing testing, I think it’s appropriate that we do also.”
Russia has tested a nuclear underwater weapon
Russia on Wednesday announced a test of a new long-range, nuclear-powered underwater weapon and recently conducted trials of a nuclear-capable cruise missile.
Earlier this week, after Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted about a new nuclear-powered missile with “unlimited range,” Trump criticized the move. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for Putin,” he said. “He ought to get the war ended — a war that should have taken one week is now in its fourth year — that’s what he should be doing instead of testing missiles.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, asked about Trump’s comments, said Russia remained bound by the moratorium on nuclear testing. “Until now, we were not aware that anyone was testing anything,” he told reporters.
He added that President Putin has “repeated many times” that if another country abandons the moratorium, “Russia will act accordingly.”
Peskov clarified that Russia’s recent cruise-missile test “was in no way a nuclear test.”
“All countries are developing their defense systems,” he said, “but this is not a nuclear test.”
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons estimates that Russia currently holds about 5,449 nuclear weapons, while the United States possesses roughly 5,277. Together, they control about 90 percent of the world’s nuclear arsenal.
Trump’s testing nuclear weapons goes against his original commitments
During his first term, Trump pushed for a significant expansion of America’s nuclear forces — reportedly seeking nearly a tenfold increase. Earlier this year, he described denuclearization as “a big aim,” telling reporters that “Russia’s willing to do it, and I think China is going to be willing to do it too.”
“We can’t let nuclear weapons proliferate. We have to stop nuclear weapons,” he said at the time.
Beijing rejected Trump’s appeal for trilateral arms reductions, calling the idea “neither reasonable nor realistic.”
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the United States currently has about 3,700 warheads, Russia 4,309, and China at least 600 — an increase of roughly 100 each year since 2023.
Trump’s call to resume testing immediately drew sharp criticism from Democrats, particularly Nevada lawmakers whose state hosts the U.S. testing site.
“This directly contradicts the commitments I secured from Trump nominees — and the opinion of administration officials who certify our nuclear stockpile — who’ve told me explosive nuclear testing would not happen and is unnecessary. I’ll fight to stop this,” said Sen. Jacky Rosen in a post on X.
Rep. Dina Titus, also from Nevada, said she plans to introduce legislation to block any new nuclear testing.
Earlier this year, the Nevada Legislature passed a resolution urging the federal government to maintain its moratorium on such tests.
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