President Trump's Surprise Call to Resume Nuclear Testing Done

After decades of disarmament, Trump’s call to resume nuclear weapons testing could push the world to the brink of an unprecedented nuclear arms race.

Shortly before a meeting with President Xi Jinping on Oct. 29, President Trump posted an announcement on his social media account, Truth Social ordering the renewal of nuclear testing. Trump’s order seems to revive the dark visions and pervasive fear that once haunted diplomatic peace during the Cold War, an uneasy era when the United States, Russia, and China regularly detonated new weapons both into space and underground. 

The mid-to-late 20th century, an era of mutual destruction marked by ominous threats and counter-threats, supposedly concluded with the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty of 1996. The treaty aimed to halt the arms race by prohibiting new nuclear tests, yet it ultimately failed to take full effect due to insufficient ratification by its signatories. 

Mr. Trump’s recent directive has now reignited debate inside the national security community over whether to defy the treaty, which some of his former aides argue restricts the country’s capacity to consolidate “peace by strength.”

Mr. Trump stated that “Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.” Only North Korea has launched nuclear tests, with the last test occurring in 2017. Mr. Trump’s statement has alarmed analysts who warn it could sabotage worldwide endeavors to contain the existential threat of nuclear weapons.

In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered top officials on Nov. 5th to submit plans for potential resumption of nuclear testing for the first time in more than 30 years. Putin asserted that he had warned the U.S. and other nations that if they “conduct such tests, Russia would also be required to take appropriate retaliatory measures.”

Iran, on the other hand, swiftly rebuked Trump’s order, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denouncing Trump’s move as both "aggressive" and “irresponsible.” 

Japanese survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings also rebuked Trump’s announcement. “The act vehemently opposes all countries that are endeavoring to achieve a nuclear-free and peaceful world and absolutely cannot be tolerated,” remarked Jiro Hamasumi, secretary general of Nihon Hidankyo, a survivors organization that won the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.

Analysts warn that the United States’ resumption on nuclear testing would directly trigger a broader wave of global insecurity, essentially giving permission to other nations to do the same move, setting off a domino effect. Indeed, experts note that both Russia and China are “prepared to conduct nuclear detonations at their underground test sites fairly rapidly.” The Council on Foreign Relations has indicated that China would stand to gain the most from any global restart of nuclear testing as it expands and modernizes its arsenal. 

Beyond the geo-political consequences, renewed testing would also bring severe environmental risks. According to a 2014 study by Remus Prǎvǎlie, a doctoral candidate at the University of Bucharest, nuclear testing in the second part of the 20th century caused “serious ecological and social consequences.” The study found evidence of long-lasting radioactive contamination of the land, air, and water across the planet, with hotspots of contamination at major test sites.

Mr. Trump’s remarks may well foreshadow the beginning of a new and potentially catastrophic nuclear arms race.

Lucy Wu ‘28

image by: NBC News