‘Start Testing Immediately’: Trump’s Nuclear Order Shakes Washington and Allies
President's late-night order to restart U.S. nuclear tests ignites global panic and arms race fears.
President Donald Trump stunned the world on October 29, 2025, with a Truth Social post from Marine One, directing the Pentagon—dubbed the "Department of War" in his rhetoric—to "immediately" resume nuclear weapons testing to counter Russia and China. He claimed America leads in warheads, with Russia second and China closing the gap within five years, citing recent Russian tests of a nuclear-powered Burevestnik missile and Poseidon drone as provocations. The announcement, dropped hours before Trump's summit with Xi Jinping in South Korea, shattered the U.S.'s 33-year moratorium on explosive tests and left allies and adversaries reeling.
Vice Admiral Richard Correll's Senate confirmation hearing to lead STRATCOM turned chaotic the next day as lawmakers grilled him over Trump's ambiguous directive. Democrats like Sen. Jack Reed warned of global destabilization and an arms race, while Sen. Angus King suggested it might mean missile tests, not detonations. Correll, cautious and evasive, said he'd provide "military advice" if confirmed, admitting he lacked insight into Trump's intent. Vice President JD Vance vaguely defended testing as routine maintenance, but the White House offered no clarity.
Nuclear experts slammed the move as reckless, arguing the U.S. relies on advanced simulations and 1,030 past tests to certify its arsenal—freshly validated in January. Critics like Daryl Kimball and Tara Drozdenko warned it would gift rivals data to catch up, erode U.S. credibility, and risk escalation. Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen vowed to block underground tests at the state's scarred site, citing decades of radiation damage.
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Russia threatened reciprocal tests, China urged treaty adherence, and the UN called it "existential peril." On X, reactions ranged from outrage to support, with some seeing it as negotiation leverage for trade deals. Allies like Japan and South Korea expressed alarm amid regional tensions.
With Congress eyeing funding cuts and Nevada polls at 70% opposed, Trump's gambit looks more like brinkmanship than strategy—STRATCOM says the stockpile is fine without blasts. But in a world of doomsday weapons and hair-trigger silos, one tweet has put humanity on edge.
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