Donald Trump has instructed the US Department of Defense to begin testing nuclear weapons at a level equal to China and Russia.
In a Wednesday post to Truth Social, Trump said that, “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.”
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The post came less than an hour before Trump is set to meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday morning in an effort to come to a trade war truce. The meeting is the first between the two since 2019.
Trump’s missive on Wednesday night also arrived on the heels of Russian president Vladimir Putin saying on Sunday that Russia had successfully tested its “unique” nuclear-capable Burevestnik cruise missile, which the Kremlin described as part of efforts to “ensure the country’s national security”. Trump later described Putin’s announcement as “not appropriate”. Sergei Ryabkov, a close aide to Putin, told Russian media that Moscow had notified the US in advance about the test.
The timing of Russia’s Burevestnik testing is notable, coming amid the Kremlin’s intensified nuclear posturing and a break in US-Russia talks over the war in Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Putin said Russia also carried out a test of a Poseidon nuclear-powered super torpedo that military analysts say is capable of devastating coastal regions by triggering vast radioactive ocean swells, according to Reuters.
Trump also falsely noted in his Truth Social post that the US has more nuclear weapons than any other country. Russia currently has the most confirmed nuclear weapons, with over 5,500 nuclear warheads, while the US has 5,044 nuclear weapons, per the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
The last nuclear test by the US, codenamed “Divider,” was carried out on 23 September 1992 at what is now called the Nevada National Security Site. Then president George HW Bush announced a moratorium on underground nuclear testing that same year. The US still, however, has the ability to resume tests at the Nevada National Security Site.
In response to Trump’s post, Nevada congresswoman Dina Titus posted on X: “Absolutely not. I’ll be introducing legislation to put a stop to this.”
Despite repeated statements from both Moscow and Washington about wanting to halt the arms race, little progress has been made. The Kremlin has recently criticised Trump’s push to develop a missile shield – known as the Golden Dome – which he claims would make the US impervious to attack.
During his first term, Trump reportedly sought to increase the US nuclear arsenal “tenfold,” per NBC News at the time.
In December 2016, he tweeted: “The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.”
