Trump Orders 'Immediate' Nuclear Weapons Testing, Reversing Decades-Long Moratorium

President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to "immediately" begin testing U.S. nuclear weapons, ending a voluntary moratorium on explosive nuclear tests observed by the United States since 1992. The announcement, posted on his Truth Social platform late Wednesday, marks a stunning reversal of decades of U.S. non-proliferation policy.

The President stated the decision was a necessary response to the testing programs of "other countries," specifically citing the need for the U.S. to test its nuclear weapons "on an equal basis" with rivals like Russia and China.

Trump's post read, "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."

The directive was issued just hours before President Trump was scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. The move abruptly inserted nuclear escalation into a meeting intended to stabilise volatile trade relations.

The order follows Russia's recent public flex of its nuclear capabilities, including the successful test of a new atomic-powered and nuclear-capable underwater drone and the Burevestnik cruise missile. Just days ago, President Trump had described Russian President Vladimir Putin's missile test announcement as "not appropriate."

Since 1992, the U.S. has relied on a Science-Based Stockpile Stewardship program using subcritical experiments and supercomputer simulations to maintain the safety and reliability of its nuclear arsenal without conducting full-scale explosive tests.