He continued, “Because of the 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 5 years.” The announcement came just before Trump’s scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, their first face-to-face encounter since 2019.
While in the room with Xi and the Chinese delegation, Trump did not respond to a reporter’s question about the testing directive before the media were ushered out. The Hill reported that it had contacted the Pentagon for comment on the former president’s statement.
The U.S. has not conducted explosive nuclear weapons tests since 1992, relying instead on computer modelling and subcritical tests to assess arsenal reliability. Trump’s former national security advisor, Robert C. O’Brien, had urged such tests last year if Trump returned to the White House.
“Washington must test new nuclear weapons for reliability and safety in the real world for the first time since 1992—not just by using computer models,” O’Brien wrote in Foreign Affairs. He added, “If China and Russia continue to refuse to engage in good-faith arms control talks, the United States should also resume production of uranium-235 and plutonium-239, the primary fissile isotopes of nuclear weapons.”
The announcement follows recent Russian weapons tests, including the Burevestnik nuclear-capable cruise missile, which Moscow claims flew 8,700 miles. Trump criticised that launch, calling it “inappropriate” as he pushes for Russia to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
“You’ve got to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now in its soon fourth year,” Trump said on Monday. “That’s what you ought to do, instead of testing missiles.”
At the same time, Trump defended America’s military posture, stating, “We test missiles all the time. They’re not playing games with us, and we’re not playing games with them either.” On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a successful test of the Poseidon, a nuclear-powered underwater drone, claiming its reactor is “100 times smaller” than those used in submarines.
