The U.S. will immediately begin testing nuclear weapons, President Donald Trump announced in a post to Truth Social Wednesday night.
The president said he has ordered the Department of Defense to launch the tests because of other powerhouse nations’ nuclear programs.
“The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country,” Trump wrote, adding, “This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office.”
The message from the president comes as he visited South Korea Wednesday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO summit in Gyeongju and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email Wednesday night for further comment.
Why It Matters
This is the first time the U.S. will test nuclear weapons in more than 30 years, since the nation voluntarily stopped testing nukes in 1992.
Trump’s missive came just a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the successful testing of Moscow’s nuclear-powered Poseidon torpedo, a long-range underwater drone capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
Trump’s orders could signal future use of military power across the globe.
What To Know
Trump said he ordered nuclear weapons testing to “begin immediately” in his post to Truth Social, noting that other world powers like Russia and China have continually been testing. The countries have the second- and third-largest amount of nuclear weapons, respectively, he said.
While the U.S. has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world, according to Trump, the two nations could catch up to America within five years.
“Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” Trump said.
Russian and Chinese nuclear capabilities have long been a concern of the U.S. and other allied nations.
On Tuesday, Putin announced that Russia had successfully tested its Poseidon torpedo, which a senior Russian lawmaker described as powerful enough to incapacitate entire states, with no known countermeasures or global equivalent.
Just a few days earlier, Russia tested its Burevestnik missile, known by NATO as Skyfall. According to the Kremlin, the missile traveled 8,700 miles in the test—a claim that could not be independently verified by the Associated Press.
Following the test, the Kremlin said its recent monitoring of nuclear weapons reflected Moscow’s determination to protect its national security in light of increased pressure from the United States and European allies to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was “consistently working to ensure its own security,” calling it a “vital issue” for the country amid what he described as “militaristic sentiment” from Europe.
What People Are Saying
Trump, on Truth Social Wednesday: “The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office. Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years. 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP”
The Nuclear Matters Handbook, revised in 2020: “The U.S. nuclear testing program began with the Trinity test on July 16, 1945, at a location approximately 55 miles northwest of Alamogordo, New Mexico, now called the Trinity Site. The test confirmed that the implosion design weapon used in the Fat Man atomic bomb would function to produce a nuclear detonation and also gave the Manhattan Project scientists their first look at the effects of a nuclear detonation.”
Putin: “The power of Poseidon far exceeds that of our most advanced intercontinental missile, Sarmat. There’s nothing like it in the world.”
Russian State Duma Defense Committee Chairman Andrei Kartapolov: “This is really a very powerful type of weapon that is capable of incapacitating or disabling entire states from war. There is no antidote and countermeasures against it today. No one has analogues today.”
What Happens Next
Trump said testing is scheduled to begin immediately, although details on when and where it would take place were not immediately available.
Update 10/29/25, 10:35 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
