In a move that has reignited global debate over nuclear deterrence, former U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his administration’s intent to resume nuclear weapons testing — a practice the United States halted more than three decades ago. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump hinted at renewed testing but avoided confirming whether it would include underground detonations similar to those conducted during the Cold War.
“You’ll find out very soon. But we’re going to do some testing, yeah,” Trump told reporters. “Other countries do it. If they’re going to do it, we’re going to do it. I’m not going to say here.”
Earlier this week, Trump had directed the Pentagon to restart nuclear tests, citing the need to “match China and Russia.” In a Truth Social post, he wrote, “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. Because of their 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 five years.”
The announcement comes just ahead of Trump’s anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, where trade and regional security are expected to dominate discussions. Analysts believe the timing signals a strategic message to Beijing and Moscow amid renewed great-power competition.
Currently, North Korea remains the only nation to have conducted full-scale nuclear tests since the 1990s. Russia, while testing delivery systems capable of carrying nuclear warheads, has not detonated any nuclear devices in recent years. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has continued missile testing, including launches of nuclear-capable projectiles, as recently as this week.
Between 1945 and 1992, the United States conducted 1,054 nuclear tests — most at the Nevada Test Site — before suspending the program amid global pressure and environmental concerns. Decades of atmospheric and underground testing left lasting ecological and health impacts, prompting international efforts to limit nuclear detonations.
The U.S. and Soviet Union took early steps toward test restrictions with the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty, which prohibited explosions in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater. Later agreements, including the 1974 Threshold Test Ban Treaty, capped underground explosions at 150 kilotons. By 1992, Congress imposed a moratorium on further testing unless another nuclear power resumed them.
President Bill Clinton signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996, but the Senate declined to ratify it, citing national security concerns. As of August 2025, 187 nations have signed the CTBT and 178 have ratified it — though without U.S. ratification, the treaty remains unenforced.
Trump’s latest comments have drawn alarm from arms control experts and global leaders alike, who fear a renewed nuclear arms race could undermine decades of nonproliferation efforts. But his supporters argue that restarting tests would restore U.S. strategic superiority and send a clear message to adversaries.
