President Donald Trump announced that he has ordered the United States to resume nuclear weapons testing "immediately," saying he directed the Department of War to match other nations’ programs. He called the move a necessary step to maintain global parity.
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Wednesday night: "The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office."
"Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years," 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."
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after a high-stakes meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Trump said it was a response to other nations’ recent actions.
"It had to do with others — they seemed to all be nuclear testing. We have more nuclear weapons than anybody. 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," Trump said.
Trump declined to provide details on where and when testing might take place when pressed for the information.
"It’ll be announced. You know, we have test sites. It’ll be announced," he said.
Trump also said he did not believe that resuming U.S. nuclear tests could make the global environment more dangerous.
"I don’t think so. I think we have it pretty well locked up," he said. "But we have more than anybody, and I see them testing. I say, well, they’re testing, we have to test too. I’d like to see a deneutralization … because we have so many. Russia’s second and China’s third. China will catch up within four or five years. I think de-escalation, or denuclearization, would be tremendous. We’re actually talking to Russia about that, and China would be added to that if we do something."
The announcement comes days after Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that the U.S. has a nuclear submarine stationed "right off their shores." The warning followed Russia’s recent missile tests.
| The Times of Israel adds: |
Trump’s decision to restart nuclear weapons testing follows a rapid expansion by China of its nuclear stockpile in recent years, and came just after Russia announced what it called a successful test of a nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable cruise missile as well as a nuclear-powered torpedo.
Trump addressed the Russian moves aboard Air Force One earlier this week, telling news hounds that Russian President Vladimir Putin
...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...should be working to end the war in Ukraine "instead of testing missiles."
Beijing has more than doubled the size of its arsenal to an estimated 600 nuclear weapons in 2025 from 300 weapons in 2020, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank.
It said US military officials estimate that China will have over 1,000 nuclear weapons by 2030. A Victory Day parade in September revealed five nuclear capabilities that can all reach the continental United States, CSIS said.
The Arms Control Association says the United States has a stockpile of 5,225 nuclear warheads and Russia has 5,580.
Putin said on Wednesday that Russia had successfully tested a Poseidon nuclear-powered super torpedo that military analysts say is capable of devastating coastal regions by triggering vast radioactive ocean swells.
As Trump has toughened both his rhetoric and his stance on Russia, Putin has publicly flexed his nuclear muscles with the test of a new Burevestnik cruise missile on October 21 and nuclear launch drills on October 22.