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President Donald Trump said Wednesday he has directed the Defense Department to “immediately” begin testing U.S. nuclear weapons, ending a 33-year moratorium and signaling a major escalation in global nuclear tensions ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” Trump posted on Truth Social shortly before departing for his summit with Xi. “That process will begin immediately.”
The United States last conducted a confirmed nuclear test in 1992, when President George H.W. Bush declared a halt to underground testing at the Nevada Test Site. While the U.S. has maintained the capability to resume testing there, the policy has long been viewed as a cornerstone of American nonproliferation efforts.
Trump cites “parity” with Russia and China
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that his decision was driven by concerns over other nations’ testing activity.
“We don’t do testing. We’ve halted it for many years. But with others doing testing, I think it’s appropriate that we do also,” Trump said after meeting with Xi in South Korea.
Russia recently tested components of a nuclear-powered cruise missile and a long-range underwater weapon, though Moscow insists neither involved a nuclear detonation. China has not conducted a nuclear test since 1996, according to international monitors.
“The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country,” Trump said online, later adding that “Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.”
Russia warns of reciprocal action
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded cautiously, noting that Russia had observed the international moratorium.
“Until now, we were not aware that anyone was testing anything,” Peskov told reporters. “But I want to recall President Putin’s statement: if someone abandons the moratorium, Russia will act accordingly.”
Peskov emphasized that Russia’s recent weapons tests “were not nuclear tests.”
Global arms control under strain
The announcement marks the latest challenge to decades of nuclear restraint and comes amid renewed great-power competition. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons estimates that Russia and the United States together possess about 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons, with 5,449 and 5,277 respectively.
During his first term, Trump pushed for a tenfold increase in the U.S. arsenal and withdrew from several arms control treaties. Earlier this year, he described denuclearization as “a big aim,” saying, “We can’t let nuclear weapons proliferate. We have to stop nuclear weapons.”
China rejected his appeal for trilateral talks on reducing stockpiles, calling the idea “neither reasonable nor realistic.”
Nevada delegation, Democrats vow to block testing
The announcement prompted immediate backlash on Capitol Hill, especially from lawmakers in Nevada, where any new test would likely take place.
“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 & is unnecessary,” said Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., on X. “I’ll fight to stop this.”
Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., said she will introduce legislation to block any resumption of testing, while the Nevada Legislature passed a resolution in May urging the federal government to maintain the moratorium.
As of Wednesday night, the White House and Pentagon had not released formal details on the scope, timeline, or location of the proposed tests.
