Trump Revives Nuclear Testing After Over 30 Years

Thu Oct 30 2025 16:56:03 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a surprising move, President Trump has instructed the US military to resume nuclear weapons testing, marking the first time in over three decades. This decision comes as a response to advancements made by rival nations like Russia and China.

President Trump has called for the resumption of US nuclear weapons testing to match advancements by other nations, citing the need to update and renovate the US nuclear arsenal. This marks a significant policy shift, as the last nuclear test conducted by the US was in 1992. Amid tensions with Russia and China, Trump asserts the necessity of demonstrating the power of the US’s nuclear capabilities.

President Donald Trump has called on US military leaders to resume testing US nuclear weapons in order to keep pace with other countries such as 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, he wrote on social media just before meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.

The US has more nuclear weapons than any other country, Trump said, with Russia second and China a distant third. It has not conducted nuclear weapons testing since 1992.

This announcement comes just days after Trump denounced Russia for testing a nuclear-powered missile, which reportedly has an unlimited range.

Trump's post on Wednesday night acknowledges the tremendous destructive power of nuclear weapons, but he stated he had no choice but to update and renovate the US arsenal during his first term in office.

He also warned that China's nuclear programme will be even within 5 years.

While details of the tests were not disclosed, Trump insisted that the process will begin immediately. This marks a reversal of a long-standing US policy, as the last nuclear weapons test was conducted in 1992, following a moratorium issued by former Republican President George HW Bush as the Cold War ended.

The US test site in Nevada, which is still operated by the US government, could potentially be authorized for nuclear weapons testing again if deemed necessary.

Previously, the last nuclear bomb test took place on September 23, 1992, at an underground facility in Nevada, conducted as Project Divider, the 1,054th nuclear test by the US.