‘We’ll Match Russia’: Trump Calls for Immediate US Nuclear Weapons Testing

On October 30, 2025, former President Trump said he had told the Pentagon to start nuclear testing again. He said the U.S. needed to do this to get “on an equal basis” with other nuclear countries. 

Why the sudden announcement?

He mentioned that Russia had tested within the past couple of weeks as justification. 

He said: “Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.” 

He further stated that Russia was the second strongest nuclear power and China was third, but could be equal to Russia in maybe five years.

Russia had just tested success on a Poseidon nuclear-powered super torpedo.

Russia also tested a new cruise missile and conducted nuclear drills recently too.

Implications – technical and strategic

The last U.S. nuclear test was in 1992. Nuclear tests provide scientists and military planners the ability to substantiate whether new weapons function properly, and whether or not older weapons are still reliable. Aside from the obvious technical advantages, a test would be perceived by Russia and China as the U.S. strength and determination.

Historical perspective: how did we get here

The U.S. began nuclear testing in July 1945 with a bomb test in New Mexico. The U.S dropped atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945 to end the Second World War.

Over the decades, nuclear arms control treaties and norms have resulted in most nuclear-armed countries either reducing testing, or halting testing altogether.