Trump orders U.S. Department of War to resume nuclear weapons testing, after 33-year moratorium
(October 30, 2025) In a dramatic, unexpected, and downright scary move, Donald Trump announced earlier today that he had directed the U.S. military and the Pentagon to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing, ending a voluntary U.S. moratorium that has been in place since 1992, according to Reuters and Politico.
The announcement came just before a high-profile meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, and was made via Trump’s social media platform while aboard the Marine One helicopter. He declared the resumption of testing would place the United States on an “equal basis” with other nuclear powers.
Nuclear weapons policy, once thought to be a relic of the Cold War, increasingly has come to the fore as Russia has made repeated atomic threats to both the U.S. and Europe during its war on Ukraine. Moscow also acknowledged this week testing a nuclear-powered-and-capable cruise missile called the Burevestnik, code-named Skyfall by NATO, and a nuclear-armed underwater drone. ~ The Associated Press
As of this this writing, there have not been any specific plans released by the White House or the Pentagon describing whether “testing” refers to explosive nuclear tests (detonations) or non-explosive experiments (like flight tests of nuclear-capable delivery systems). Following trade negotiations with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jae Myung, Trump also took the opportunity to say today that South Korea now has the green light to build a nuclear-powered submarine, deepening the shift in U.S. nuclear posture even further, according to Al Jazeera.
The United States has observed a voluntary moratorium on nuclear explosive testing since 1992. No nuclear power other than North Korea has carried out actual test detonations in over 25 years. Although, Russia just tested a nuclear-armed underwater drone.
Perhaps most notably are the reactions from some of the USA’s more non-friendly nations, Russia and China. The Kremlin responded sharply, warning that the decision signals a return to strategic unpredictability. “A senior Russian lawmaker said Trump’s decision would herald a new era of unpredictability and open confrontation,” according to Reuters. China’s Foreign Ministry called for the U.S. to adhere to its previous commitment and moratorium on nuclear testing, in order to uphold the global strategic balance and stability.
Reportedly, experts are warning that resuming explosive testing would undermine nonproliferation norms, invite retaliation from other nuclear states, and potentially spark a new arms race.
Trump’s order to resume nuclear weapons testing marks one of the most consequential shifts in U.S. nuclear policy in decades. It signals a break from nearly 34 years of de facto non-testing, heightening dangers of renewed nuclear competition and raising urgent questions about strategic stability, treaty commitments, and global security norms.
For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.
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(Additional sources: Foreign Affairs, The Heritage Foundation)
(Cover photo of Donald Trump: Fulton County Sheriff’s Office)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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