On Thursday, October 30, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, signaling a major change in American defense strategy after a 33-year hiatus. The announcement was made just before Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, for trade discussions.
Trump revealed the decision via Truth Social while aboard Marine One en route to the meeting with Xi. “Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately,” Trump posted on the platform.
The president mentioned concerns over testing programs by other nuclear powers, specifically pointing to Russia’s nuclear capabilities and China’s growing arsenal. Trump noted that although China is currently a distant third, it could reach parity with leading nuclear powers within five years.
During his return flight to Washington on Air Force One, Trump explained that the decision was necessary for the U.S. to maintain its standing relative to other nuclear powers. He downplayed worries about global risk, asserting that U.S. nuclear stockpiles are secure. Trump also expressed interest in pursuing denuclearization talks, highlighting ongoing discussions with Russia that might include China.
Trump’s announcement came amid escalating nuclear tensions involving Russia. On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had completed a successful test of the Poseidon nuclear-powered super torpedo, which analysts say could devastate coastal areas with massive radioactive ocean surges. Putin had also conducted tests of a Burevestnik cruise missile on October 21 and nuclear launch drills on October 22.
The directive follows significant growth in China’s nuclear capabilities. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, China’s arsenal has more than doubled from an estimated 300 nuclear weapons in 2020 to around 600 in 2025. U.S. military officials project that China will have over 1,000 nuclear weapons by 2030. A September parade revealed that five of China’s nuclear capabilities can reach the continental United States.
Current stockpiles show the United States with 5,225 nuclear warheads and Russia with 5,580, according to the Arms Control Association. The last U.S. nuclear test was in 1992, with most major nuclear powers, except North Korea, halting explosive nuclear testing in the 1990s. Russia’s last confirmed test was in 1990, followed by the U.S. in 1992 and China in 1996. North Korea’s most recent test occurred in 2017.
Uncertainty surrounds the specifics of Trump’s directive. The announcement did not specify whether it referred to nuclear-explosive testing, which falls under the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), or to flight testing of nuclear-capable missiles. The president indicated that specific nuclear test sites would be chosen later.
The announcement drew immediate opposition. Representative Dina Titus, a Nevada Democrat, stated on X that she would propose legislation to stop the testing program. Daryl Kimball, director of the Arms Control Association, estimated it would take at least 36 months to resume underground nuclear tests at the former Nevada test site.
Kimball described Trump as misinformed, arguing that the nation lacks technical, military, or political reasons for resuming nuclear explosive testing. He warned that the announcement could trigger a wave of nuclear testing by U.S. adversaries and potentially undermine the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Experts note that beyond technical data, such testing would demonstrate the U.S.’s strategic power to Russia and China. Putin has stated that Russia would resume testing if the U.S. does.
In August, Trump discussed nuclear arms control with Putin, showing interest in involving China. Beijing responded that participating in nuclear disarmament negotiations with the larger nuclear powers was unrealistic given its smaller arsenal. In February, Trump outlined plans to pursue nuclear arms control, proposing talks with both Putin and Xi on limiting arsenals.
The United States began the nuclear era in July 1945 with a 20-kiloton atomic bomb test in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The country later dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, leading to Japan’s surrender in World War II.
