Trump reaffirms US nuclear test plan, sidesteps question on underground tests
Trump said he had directed the US military to resume nuclear weapons testing after a 33-year break, a move widely viewed as a signal to nuclear rivals China and Russia.
US President Donald Trump on Friday (October 31) reaffirmed that the United States would move ahead with plans to restart nuclear testing but avoided giving a direct answer on whether this would involve underground nuclear detonations similar to those carried out during the Cold War.
Trump hints at nuclear tests
“You’ll find out very soon, but we’re going to do some testing,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked about underground testing.
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“Other countries do it. If they’re going to do it, we’re going to do it, OK?” he added, refusing to elaborate further.
On Thursday (October 30), Trump said he had directed the US military to resume nuclear weapons testing after a 33-year break, a move widely viewed as a signal to nuclear rivals China and Russia.
The announcement came unexpectedly via social media while Trump was flying aboard Marine One to Busan, South Korea, for trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
US nuclear supremacy
Trump asserted that the US possessed “more nuclear weapons than any other country,” crediting his first term in office for what he described as a “complete update and renovation” of the nation’s nuclear arsenal.
“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,” he wrote.
“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,” he added.
It remained unclear whether Trump was referring to nuclear-explosive testing, conducted by the National Nuclear Security Administration, or flight testing of nuclear-capable missiles.
Confusion over nuclear warhead testing
Trump’s remarks sparked confusion within and outside the US government after his brief post appeared to suggest that Washington would resume nuclear warhead testing on an “equal basis” with Russia and China, whose last known tests were conducted in the 1990s.
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Some of his statements seemed to refer to testing missile systems rather than warheads themselves, and there has been no indication that the US intends to resume detonating nuclear devices.
While the US military routinely conducts flight tests of nuclear-capable missiles, it has not detonated a warhead since 1992.
Although the United States signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, it has yet to ratify it but continues to adhere to its provisions, with North Korea being the only country to violate the global moratorium.
Russia responds
Trump’s remarks came days after Russia announced tests of a new nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable underwater drone and a new nuclear-powered cruise missile.
Moscow emphasised that it has complied with the international ban on nuclear testing but warned that if the US resumes tests, Russia will follow suit, raising the prospect of renewed Cold War-style tensions.
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Meanwhile, Vice Adm. Richard Correll, Trump’s nominee to lead the military command overseeing the US nuclear arsenal, told senators during his confirmation hearing that he could not interpret Trump's’s remarks. “I’m not reading anything into it or reading anything out of it,” he said.
However, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the decision, calling the move a “very responsible way” to sustain nuclear deterrence and saying the Pentagon would coordinate with the Department of Energy. “We’re moving out quickly,” Hegseth said.
(With agency inputs)