Trump Orders Nuclear Tests Ahead of Xi Meeting

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social and aboard Air Force One, minutes before meeting Xi Jinping in Busan, that he had ordered the Pentagon to immediately resume testing U.S. nuclear weapons "on an equal basis" with Russia and China, ending a roughly 33-year de facto moratorium. The announcement was vague and experts and officials said it was unclear whether he meant full explosive warhead detonations (the U.S. last detonated a nuclear device in 1992), tests of delivery systems, or routine missile tests, and noted that U.S. explosive-test ranges are run by the Energy Department rather than the Pentagon. The statement provoked immediate international and domestic backlash — including condemnation from U.N. officials, calls from China and Iran to uphold non‑proliferation obligations, anger from atomic-bomb survivor groups in Japan, and vows by Nevada officials and U.S. lawmakers to resist resuming tests on U.S. soil; Russia warned it would “act accordingly” while the Kremlin has downplayed claims Moscow recently tested a device. Analysts warned resuming tests would undermine arms-control norms (including the CTBT verification regime), heighten arms-race dynamics given recent Russian and Chinese activity, and force allied planning to be revisited; critics also said Trump's claim that the U.S. has the largest arsenal is misleading per SIPRI data showing Russia slightly ahead and China rapidly expanding. The announcement sowed confusion in Washington, prompting Senate lawmakers to press Strategic Command nominee Vice Adm. Richard Correll for clarification, and officials have provided few operational details while experts say simulation-based stockpile stewardship has preserved reliability without renewed detonations. Defense contractors that support testing and modernization, such as Honeywell and BWXT, could receive large contracts if Washington proceeds.