A return to nuclear testing: Trump orders Pentagon to resume explosive assessments

By willowt // 2025-10-31

Mastodon

Parler

Gab

Copy

President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to resume U.S. nuclear weapons testing for the first time since 1992.
The decision is framed as a response to the testing programs of other nations, specifically Russia and China.
The announcement follows a recent Russian test of a new nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater weapon.
The move has drawn immediate criticism from lawmakers and contradicts previous U.S. non-proliferation stances.
The Kremlin warned that Russia would "act accordingly" if the U.S. abandons the testing moratorium.

In a move that marks a significant shift in U.S. defense policy, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he has directed the Department of War to immediately restart the testing of nuclear weapons. The decision, communicated via the president's Truth Social platform, ends a voluntary moratorium on such explosive testing that has been in place for over three decades. The order is presented as a strategic imperative to match the nuclear advancements of global adversaries, specifically Russia and China, and signals a new, volatile chapter in great power competition.

Justifying the resumption

President Trump framed the decision as a necessary response to the activities of other nuclear powers. “Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” Trump stated, adding that the process “will begin immediately.” He underscored the U.S. stockpile’s size but expressed a personal aversion to the action, writing, “Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice!” The administration's position is that parity in testing is essential for maintaining a credible deterrent, noting that while China is currently a "distant third" in nuclear capacity, it is projected to reach parity with the U.S. and Russia within five years. The announcement came just a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the test of the "Poseidon," a nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable underwater torpedo that Russian state media claims can trigger radioactive tsunamis. While the Kremlin clarified that this test involved the delivery system and not a nuclear explosion, it contributed to the atmosphere of escalating strategic weapons development that the Trump administration cited as its motivation.

Historical context and immediate fallout

The United States last conducted an underground nuclear explosive test in 1992, after which President George H.W. Bush initiated a moratorium. Since then, the U.S. has relied on subcritical experiments and sophisticated computer simulations to ensure the reliability and safety of its nuclear arsenal under the Stockpile Stewardship Program. A return to live testing represents a dramatic break from this long-standing policy and risks triggering a new global arms race. The reaction from Moscow was swift. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted the existing moratorium and stated, “Until now, we were not aware that anyone was testing anything.” He then pointedly recalled President Putin’s repeated warning: “if someone abandons the moratorium, Russia will act accordingly.” This sets the stage for a potential tit-for-tat cycle of testing between the world's two largest nuclear powers. On the domestic front, the decision was met with sharp criticism, particularly from lawmakers representing Nevada, the site of the nation’s primary nuclear test facility. Senator Jacky Rosen vowed to fight the move, stating it “directly contradicts” commitments she received from Trump nominees who previously testified that explosive testing was unnecessary.

A broader geopolitical clash

This development occurs against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow. Just last week, the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on two of Russia’s largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, citing Moscow’s refusal to engage seriously in peace talks to end the war in Ukraine. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the sanctions target companies that “fund the Kremlin’s war machine.” These actions, coupled with the nuclear testing order, illustrate an administration pursuing a hardline approach to Russia, even as President Trump has simultaneously expressed a desire for direct diplomacy with President Putin and a negotiated end to the conflict in Ukraine.

An uncertain and perilous path forward

The resumption of U.S. nuclear testing carries profound implications for global security and non-proliferation efforts. It challenges decades of international norms and risks undermining key treaties, even those to which the U.S. is no longer a party, such as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. For national security experts, the move raises critical questions about its strategic necessity versus its potential to destabilize the delicate balance of nuclear deterrence. As the world watches, the decision pushes the nation into uncharted territory, potentially unraveling a long-held taboo and opening a new, dangerous chapter in the nuclear age where live tests once again become a tool of geopolitical leverage. Sources for this article include: Modernity.com DailyCaller.com NBCnews.com