President Donald Trump has doubled down on his commitment to restarting U.S. nuclear weapons testing, issuing a direct instruction to the Pentagon. When pressed by reporters about the specifics, Trump cryptically responded, “You’ll find out very soon. But we’re going to do some testing, yeah.” He justified the move by pointing to actions taken by other nations, stating, “If they’re going to do it, we’re going to do it.” This follows his earlier assertion that the U.S. maintains a superior nuclear arsenal, enhanced significantly during his first term.
The historical context reveals that the United States engaged in 1,054 nuclear tests between 1945 and 1992. The majority took place in Nevada. Testing was halted due to escalating environmental concerns and the winding down of the Cold War. While the U.S. has observed a moratorium since then, international efforts like the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty have sought to codify this, though not all nations, including the U.S. Senate, have fully endorsed it.