President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his intention to resume nuclear testing, a move that would break a 33-year U.S. moratorium and shatter a key global norm that has held for decades. His ambiguous instructions and the subsequent justification from his administration have drawn sharp criticism from experts who warn it undermines global security and could trigger a dangerous new arms race .
When pressed by reporters aboard Air Force One to clarify if his plans included underground nuclear detonation tests, President Trump declined to give a direct answer, stating only, "You'll find out very soon, but we're going to do some testing" . He justified the decision by claiming, "Other countries do it. If they're going to do it, we're going to do it" . This directive, which he first announced on social media, has sown confusion, as it's unclear whether he refers to testing the nuclear warheads themselves or the missiles that carry them . Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking from Malaysia, offered few details but defended the notion of "resuming testing" as a "very responsible" way to maintain a credible nuclear deterrent and claimed the Pentagon was "moving out quickly" in cooperation with the Department of Energy .
The primary justification for the decision, that other nuclear powers are actively testing appears to be factually incorrect. Nuclear weapons experts and his own military nominees have pointed out that Russia has not conducted a nuclear explosive test in 35 years, and China last tested in 1996 . The only country to have tested nuclear weapons this century is North Korea, with its last test in 2017 . Analysts suggest Trump may be conflating nuclear weapons tests with Russia's recent tests of new nuclear-powered delivery systems, such as a cruise missile and an underwater drone . This factual inaccuracy has led to scrutiny, with experts noting that the U.S. Department of Energy, not the "Department of War" as Trump called it in his social media post, is the agency responsible for nuclear tests.
Arms control experts universally warn that resuming U.S. nuclear testing would be a profound strategic mistake with multiple negative consequences. First, it would likely empower adversaries like China, which has conducted far fewer tests than the United States and would gain more from a new round of testing to advance its weapons programs . Second, it would dismantle the international norm against testing, providing diplomatic cover for Russia, China, and other nuclear-aspirant countries to conduct their own tests, thereby making America less safe . Furthermore, such tests are costly, with estimates around $140 million per test, and carry environmental risks, including potential radioactive leakage and seismic activity that could affect areas as far as Las Vegas .
The announcement signals a stark rejection of decades of international diplomatic efforts to curb nuclear testing. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), opened for signature in 1996, created a powerful global norm that has reduced nuclear test explosions from over 2,000 to fewer than a dozen since its adoption . While the treaty has not formally entered into force, it has been observed by all nuclear powers except North Korea . A U.S. return to testing would shatter this consensus. The Kremlin has already warned that if the U.S. resumes testing, Russia will follow suit, threatening to reignite Cold War-era tensions and accelerate a new, unpredictable arms race .