Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Department of Defense to begin testing nuclear weapons to match the programs of China and Russia.
In a Truth Social post on Wednesday night, Trump wrote, “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.”
The statement came less than an hour before Trump’s scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday morning. The two leaders are expected to discuss easing trade tensions in their first meeting since 2019.
Trump’s post followed Russia’s announcement on Sunday that it had successfully tested its nuclear-capable Burevestnik cruise missile. President Vladimir Putin said the test was part of efforts to protect Russia’s national security. Trump later called Putin’s statement “not appropriate.” Russian officials said they had informed Washington about the test in advance.
Putin also said Russia recently tested a Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo, which experts believe could devastate coastal areas through massive radioactive waves.
Trump inaccurately claimed in his post that the U.S. has more nuclear weapons than any other nation. According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Russia holds over 5,500 warheads, while the U.S. has 5,044.
The U.S. last tested a nuclear device on September 23, 1992. The test, called “Divider,” took place at the Nevada National Security Site. Then-President George H.W. Bush imposed a moratorium on underground nuclear tests that year, but the U.S. still retains the capacity to resume testing there.
Nevada congresswoman Dina Titus quickly opposed Trump’s directive, posting on X, “Absolutely not. I’ll be introducing legislation to put a stop to this.”
Despite years of public statements from both Washington and Moscow about curbing the arms race, little progress has been made. The Kremlin has criticized Trump’s push to develop a missile shield called the “Golden Dome,” which he claims would make the U.S. immune to nuclear attack.
During his first term, Trump sought to expand the U.S. nuclear arsenal. In 2016, he tweeted, “The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.”
#DonaldTrump #NuclearWeapons #USChinaRelations #XiJinping #WorldPolitics