Trump Orders U.S. Nuclear Weapons Testing

Gyeongju, South Korea — October 29, 2025  In a dramatic escalation of global nuclear tensions, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday evening that the United States will immediately resume testing its nuclear arsenal, directing the Pentagon to match the pace of rival nations' programs. The move marks a stark reversal of decades-old U.S. policy and has sent shockwaves through international diplomacy.

"Because of other countries' testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis," Trump wrote in the post, which quickly amassed millions of views and reactions. "That process will begin immediately." He boasted that the U.S. boasts "more Nuclear Weapons than any other country" following a "complete update and renovation" during his first term, adding that Russia ranks second while China, "a distant third," could catch up within five years. The president emphasized he had "no choice" given the "enormous destructive power" at stake.

The announcement comes amid a flurry of provocative nuclear developments from U.S. adversaries. Just days earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin touted the successful test of the Burevestnik nuclear-capable cruise missile, which traveled 8,700 miles and stayed airborne for 15 hours, as well as a nuclear-powered underwater drone designed to generate massive tsunamis. Trump had previously decried Putin's actions as "not appropriate," urging a focus on peace in Ukraine instead. Beijing, meanwhile, has accelerated its own arsenal expansion, with intelligence reports suggesting rapid modernization that could close the gap with Washington in the coming years.

The U.S. has not conducted a full-scale nuclear test since 1992, when President George H.W. Bush imposed a moratorium on underground detonations at the Nevada National Security Site—the site of the last blast, codenamed "Divider." That pause aligned with global non-proliferation efforts, including the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which the U.S. signed but has yet to ratify. Trump's directive appears to sidestep these commitments, though the White House has not clarified whether the tests will involve live explosions or computer-simulated experiments.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to South Korea, Trump framed the decision as a necessary deterrent. "We can't let them get ahead," he said, referencing both Moscow and Beijing. "It's about strength, not weakness." The timing—less than an hour before Trump's anticipated face-to-face with Xi on the sidelines of a regional summit—has fueled speculation of brinkmanship. Analysts suggest the post could be a calculated pressure tactic in ongoing trade war negotiations, where tariffs and technology restrictions remain flashpoints.

Global reaction was swift and polarized. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the move "reckless escalation," warning it could unravel fragile arms control dialogues. In Beijing, state media decried it as "hegemonic posturing," while urging calm ahead of the Xi-Trump meeting. At home, Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, condemned the announcement as "dangerously impulsive," demanding an emergency briefing from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. "This isn't the 1980s—nuclear saber-rattling risks catastrophe for all," Schumer said in a floor speech.

Republican leaders, however, rallied behind the president. House Speaker Mike Johnson praised it as "bold leadership to restore American deterrence," while Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted: "Finally, peace through strength. #MAGA.

"The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) highlighted the stark arsenals at play: Russia leads with over 5,500 warheads, followed closely by the U.S. at 5,044. "Resuming tests normalizes the unthinkable," said ICAN executive director Melissa Parke. "It's a step backward for humanity."

As Trump prepares for his summit in Gyeongju—his first in-person encounter with Xi since 2019—the world watches nervously. Will this nuclear gambit yield concessions on trade, or ignite a new arms race? For now, the "Department of War"—a nod to Trump's penchant for historical flair—has been tasked with rapid implementation, with initial tests potentially slated for Nevada within weeks. 17GEN4.com