President Trump has ordered the military to “immediately” begin testing nuclear weapons in response to the growing arsenal Russia and China are amassing, he announced Wednesday.
“Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“That process will begin immediately,” the president added.
The US has not tested a nuclear explosive since 1992, observing a voluntary moratorium on the practice.
Russia and China have not publicly disclosed any nuclear tests since the 1990s, but the latter is believed to have conducted secret, low-grade weapons tests in recent years.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to rule out future weapons tests involving nuclear explosions and has recently boasted about nuclear-capable missile and torpedo tests.
“The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country,” Trump wrote. “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,” he warned.
On the 2024 campaign trail, Trump frequently referred to nuclear weapons as “the N-word,” because of their devastating power.
The president had also explained that his uncle, late MIT professor John Trump, taught him long ago that ”nuclear is so powerful.”
Trump’s announcement comes ahead of his high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea that will take place Wednesday.
This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.
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