According to CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, President Trump is right in his assertion that Russia and China are conducting secret nuclear weapons tests. Ratcliffe tweeted support for Trump, sharing intelligence from the president’s first term indicating that these countries may not be following a moratorium on nuclear explosions.
Cotton followed up by noting that the CIA has confirmed both Russia and China have carried out supercritical nuclear tests exceeding the U.S. zero-yield standard. He emphasized that these tests are part of ongoing nuclear modernization efforts, rather than being historical events.
Recently, Trump ordered the Pentagon to start testing nuclear weapons again for the first time in over three decades, in light of the nuclear buildups in Russia and China. He stated on Truth Social that he directed the Army to begin testing on an equal footing with other nations, starting immediately.
In a “60 Minutes” interview, Trump explained he felt compelled to act because of Russia’s announcements regarding its tests and pointed out that North Korea is also continuously testing. “We’re the only country that doesn’t test,” he mentioned. “I don’t want to be the only one.”
It’s worth noting the U.S. hasn’t conducted a nuclear test since 1992. That last test was an underground explosion at the Nevada Test Range, and testing has been voluntarily suspended since then.
Trump hasn’t specified the nature or timing of any upcoming military tests. When a CBS correspondent challenged him, he insisted that both Russia and China are indeed advancing their nuclear capabilities unbeknownst to the public.
