Trump says US to begin nuclear weapons testing ‘immediately.’ What to know
President Donald Trump said the United States will resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time in more than three decades, a move that triggered concern among America’s adversaries and atomic experts.
The Republican president announced the news shortly before a highly anticipated sit-down with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Oct. 30.
“Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “That process will begin immediately.”
A nuclear weapon test explosion has not occurred on U.S. soil since 1992, the year Congress enacted a moratorium on such testing.
In 1996, the U.S. also signed, but failed to ratify, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Since then, all nations have adhered to its restrictions, except North Korea.
Trump framed the major shift in U.S. policy as an attempt to maintain a competitive edge over America’s adversaries.
“The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country,” he said. “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.”
But according to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia holds the world’s largest nuclear arsenal with 4,309 warheads, followed by the U.S. with 3,700 and China with 600. Six other nations — including the United Kingdom, France and India — also possess smaller stockpiles.
In response to the president’s statement, officials from Russia and China expressed disapproval.
“Until now, we were not aware that anyone was testing anything,” Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, according to CNBC. “And if the Burevestnik test is somehow being referred to, it is in no way a nuclear test. All countries are developing their defense systems, but this is not a nuclear test.”
He appeared to be addressing Russia’s recent test of a nuclear-capable cruise missile, which traveled about 8,700 miles on Oct. 21.
Another Russian official outright condemned Trump’s announcement. Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, said U.S. nuclear testing would trigger “chaos” and a “chain response,” according to Newsweek.
Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun said he hopes Trump will adhere to the CTBT and pressed the U.S. to “take practical actions to safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime,” Newsweek reported.
Some atomic experts have also pushed back against Trump’s policy shift.
“Trump is misinformed and out of touch,” Daryl Kimball, director of the Arms Control Association, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “The U.S. has no technical, military, or political reason to resume nuclear explosive testing for the first time since 1992.”
He added that restarting testing would pose logistical challenges and estimated that it would take at least three years to resume underground detonations at a retired Nevada test site.
Melissa Parke, the executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), described Trump’s move as “reckless” and “unnecessary.”
“By the way,” she added. “This is no way to win the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, however, defended the decision to resume nuclear testing, telling CNN, “I think it is an obvious and logical thing to ensure that our weapons systems work.”
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 12:25 PM with the headline "Trump says US to begin nuclear weapons testing ‘immediately.’ What to know."