Trump defends resuming US nuclear tests: ‘Don't want to be the only country that doesn't'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump reaffirmed his decision to restart nuclear testing in the United States, arguing that Washington should not be the only global power refraining from such tests while countries like Russia, China, and North Korea continue their programs.

Speaking in a '60 Minutes' interview with CBS on Sunday, November 2, the 79-year-old Republican leader said the move was necessary to maintain strategic parity and ensure national security.

Trump defends nuclear testing restart, cites global competition

During the interview, Trump said his decision stemmed from the realization that the United States, despite possessing the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, should not abstain from testing while other nations continue to do so.

“We have more nuclear weapons than any other country. And I think we should do something about denuclearization. And I did actually discuss that with both President Putin and President Xi. We have enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world 150 times. Russia has a lot of nuclear weapons, and China will have a lot,” Trump said.

Earlier in the day, just hours before his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump took to Truth Social to direct the Department of Defense to begin nuclear testing “immediately.” The order marks the first official US nuclear testing initiative in more than three decades.

Defending his call, Trump argued that other nuclear powers frequently conduct tests, openly or in secret, while the US remains bound by self-imposed restraint. “You know, you do have to and the reason I'm saying- testing is because Russia announced that they were going to be doing a test. If you notice, North Korea's testing constantly. Other countries are testing. We're the only country that doesn't test, and I want to be - I don't want to be the only country that doesn't test,” he told CBS.

The announcement came shortly after reports that Russia had tested its powerful “unlimited range” nuclear missile, the Burevestnik.

Trump contrasted the openness of American democracy with the secrecy of authoritarian regimes. “We're different. We talk about it. We have to talk about it, because otherwise you people are going to report, they don't have reporters that going to be writing about it. We do,” he added.

Lawmakers question Trump’s nuclear testing plan amid doubts

President Donald Trump’s push to resume nuclear testing has drawn mixed reactions in Washington. His nominee to lead the US Strategic Command (STRATCOM), Vice Admiral Richard Correll, said during congressional testimony that there is no evidence Russia or China have recently conducted explosive nuclear tests.

“I believe the quote was, ‘start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis.’ Neither China nor Russia has conducted a nuclear explosive test, so I’m not reading anything into it or reading anything out of it,” Correll stated.

Meanwhile, officials from the Department of Energy clarified that Trump’s proposed testing plan would not involve full-scale detonations, noting there are no “explosions” in the current outline. The United States last conducted a nuclear test in September 1992 as part of Operation Julin, a series of seven underground detonations. Those tests preceded the negotiations that led to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), an international agreement banning all nuclear explosions for civilian and military purposes.

While the treaty has been signed by 187 countries, including Russia, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel, it has been ratified by only 178. The US remains a signatory but has never ratified the agreement, leaving the door open for future testing under presidential directive.