Top U.S. energy and nuclear officials are preparing to meet with the White House and National Security Council to push back against President Donald Trump’s idea of resuming explosive nuclear weapons testing, CNN reported.
Trump floated the idea in October, citing Russian and North Korean testing and arguing the U.S. should not be “the only country that doesn’t test.”
President Donald Trump has called for the United States to test its nuclear weapons for the first time in three decades.https://t.co/ThFkMQ63wy
— Science News (@ScienceNews) November 14, 2025
But the National Nuclear Security Administration — which oversees America’s stockpile — is expected to warn that full-scale nuclear detonations are unnecessary, risky, and could take years to execute.
Trump announced recently that ending Washington’s three-decade-plus moratorium on tests is warranted because Russian and Chinese nuclear stockpiles are approaching U.S. levels and because other nations are involved in some degree of testing. https://t.co/OIJBYfpepq #ThreatStatus
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) November 13, 2025
Officials plan to present Trump with alternatives such as advanced simulations and non-explosive system tests. The last U.S. nuclear blast occurred in 1992, and live testing was banned by the Clinton administration in 1996.
Despite internal resistance, Trump retains full authority to order testing. Officials fear renewed U.S. detonations could trigger similar moves by China or Russia and ignite global backlash, particularly from Nevada, where testing would occur.
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TIPP Staff
