President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to restart nuclear weapons testing, ending a 33-year hiatus. The move, announced on Truth Social ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, comes amid heightened competition with Russia and China.
“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. He added that “Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within five years.”
The decision follows Trump’s recent criticism of Russia for testing its nuclear-powered Burevestnik missile. Speaking later aboard Air Force One, Trump defended the order as necessary to maintain U.S. deterrence, saying testing sites would be determined later.
The U.S. last conducted a nuclear test in 1992. Trump’s directive marks a major shift in American nuclear policy and underscores rising tensions with Moscow and Beijing.
