US President Donald Trump has defended his order to restart testing of America’s nuclear weapons system, insisting that rivals Russia and China are also conducting secret tests. Speaking to CBS News, Trump said he discussed “denuclearisation” with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping but argued that testing remains necessary to ensure the US arsenal works effectively.
“We have more nuclear weapons than any other country,” Trump said. “Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it.” He added that other nations, including North Korea, continue tests, while the US “shouldn’t be the only country that doesn’t test.”
Confusion arose after Trump posted on Truth Social that he had “instructed the Department of War to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis.” Many interpreted the post as a plan to resume full-scale nuclear explosions after a 33-year pause.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright later clarified that the planned tests will not involve nuclear detonations. “These are system tests, not nuclear explosions,” he said. The tests, Wright explained, will examine new weapons systems and ensure replacement designs meet modern safety and performance standards.
