President Donald Trump defended his recent directive for the U.S. to resume nuclear weapons testing, telling CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday that he does not want the country to be the sole global power adhering to a testing moratorium.
Trump’s instruction to the Department of War (DOW) to restart nuclear testing was delivered via a Truth Social post on Wednesday, just hours before he was scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his three-day Asia trip.
When pressed on the timing and rationale by CBS correspondent Norah O’Donnell, the former President asserted the need for the U.S. to ensure its arsenal is functional and keep pace with other nations.
“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,” Trump stated, noting that North Korea tests “constantly.”
The interview took place against the backdrop of recent actions by other nuclear-armed nations. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last Wednesday that Russia had tested its nuclear-powered, nuclear-capable underwater torpedo, the Poseidon, the day prior. The weapon is reportedly designed to travel intercontinentally and could generate “radioactive tsunamis.”
When O’Donnell pushed back, suggesting that only North Korea is currently conducting nuclear tests, Trump countered that both Russia and China are also testing, but are doing so without public transparency.
“Russia’s testing and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it,” Trump claimed. “You know, we’re an open society. We’re different, we talk about it. We have to talk about it because otherwise you people are gonna report— they don’t have reporters who are gonna be writing about it. We do.”
Trump also touched on the broader issue of denuclearization, saying, “We have more nuclear weapons than any other country. I think we should do something about denuclearization and I did actually discuss that with both President Putin and President Xi.”
The suggestion to restart testing puts the U.S. at odds with international agreements and the publicly stated positions of major competitors. China’s spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, responded to Trump’s announcement by stating that Beijing hopes the U.S. will abide by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the moratorium on nuclear tests.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon warned in 2022 that China was rapidly expanding its nuclear program, with its stockpile of 400 warheads projected to reach 1,500 by 2035.
When O’Donnell asked why testing would be necessary, the President simply confirmed the U.S. will “test nuclear weapons like other countries do.”
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
