Trump Says He Ordered Nuclear Weapons Testing on an Equal Basis

President Trump said this week that he has directed the U.S. military to begin testing nuclear weapons “on an equal basis” with other countries, a statement that left unclear whether he meant explosive tests, which the United States has not conducted since 1992. He made the announcement on Truth Social shortly before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, according to NBC News and the Associated Press, whose report ran on PBS NewsHour.

“I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” Trump wrote, using the name he has given the Defense Department. The post cited the testing programs of other countries as the reason. It gave no details on what kind of tests he had in mind, where they would take place or when.

The last U.S. explosive nuclear test took place in 1992. The Associated Press identified the final blast as a test code-named Divider, carried out in September 1992 at the Nevada National Security Sites. NBC reported that the United States could resume tests at its federal site in Nevada, which was used for decades.

Trump’s reasoning rests on his claim that rivals are testing. Russia recently said it had tested the Burevestnik, a nuclear-powered cruise missile, but NBC noted that the test did not involve detonating a nuclear weapon. The last known Chinese nuclear test was in 1996, NBC reported. The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters that Moscow had not been aware of anyone testing anything, according to NBC, and repeated President Vladimir Putin’s position that Russia would act accordingly if others abandoned the moratorium.

Trump also claimed that the United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country. Independent estimates differ. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute puts the U.S. arsenal at about 3,700 warheads and Russia’s at about 4,309, with China at least 600, as NBC reported. The Associated Press, citing the same institute, gave consistent figures, and the Arms Control Association’s count, which includes retired warheads awaiting dismantlement, also places Russia slightly ahead.

Reaction in Washington split along familiar lines. NBC reported that Sen. Jacky Rosen, a Nevada Democrat, said the move contradicted commitments made by Trump’s own nominees, and Rep. Dina Titus, also of Nevada, said she would introduce legislation to stop it. The Nevada Legislature passed a resolution in May urging that the moratorium be maintained. Supporters of a tougher posture argue that the country should be ready to demonstrate its deterrent if rivals expand theirs, a case the president framed as a matter of parity.

The Associated Press quoted an essay in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists arguing that a fast-tracked test could be only political, not scientific. The Energy Department, through its National Nuclear Security Administration, maintains the arsenal and has overseen testing since its creation in 1977, the AP noted, so it was not clear which agency would carry out any order. Trump himself later told reporters that the order concerned what others do, according to NBC.