President Trump Authorizes Resumption of Nuclear Weapons Testing for the First Time in Over Three Decades
On October 29th, President Donald Trump urged US military leaders to resume nuclear weapons testing, citing the need to match programs by Russia and China. On social media, he stated, “Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” just before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
According to Trump, the US has the largest nuclear arsenal, followed by Russia and then China. Exact numbers are classified, but estimates put Russia at around 5,459 warheads and the US at about 5,177, with China trailing at approximately 600. Other nuclear nations include France, the UK, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea. China’s arsenal is expected to surpass 1,000 warheads by 2030.
Trump’s announcement came days after he criticized Russia for testing a nuclear-powered missile. While Russia claims to have tested two new nuclear-capable weapons, a missile said to penetrate US defenses and an underwater drone called Poseidon, Russian officials stated that these tests did not involve actual nuclear detonations - just the delivery technology.
After meeting President Xi, Trump said the US would decide on nuclear test sites at a later date, adding, “With others doing testing, I think it’s appropriate that we do also.” It was unclear if Trump’s statement referred to detonating a nuclear device or simply testing delivery systems. Trump acknowledged the destructive power of nuclear weapons but insisted he had “no choice” but to modernize the US arsenal during his first term and suggested China’s program could catch up within five years. The Arms Control Association (ACA) notes that North Korea is the only country to conduct a nuclear test explosion this century, though even it announced a moratorium in 2018. China’s last known testing of a nuclear weapon was in 1996.
This move reverses a long-standing US policy. The country’s last nuclear test was in 1992, after which President George HW Bush issued a moratorium on underground nuclear testing following the end of the Cold War. Russia has warned that if the US ended its moratorium, Russia would respond accordingly. China also reacted, urging the US to respect its commitments under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Trump’s remarks came about 100 days before the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New Start) expires in February 2026 - the last major arms agreement between the US and Russia, limiting each to 1,550 deployed warheads.
The last US nuclear bomb test occurred on September 23, 1992, at Nevada’s underground test site. Known as Divider, it was the nation’s 1,054th nuclear test. The Nevada Test Site remains government property and could be reactivated if needed, according to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. However, some experts estimate it would take at least three years to restart testing there.