‘I Had No Choice’: Trump Defends Order to Resume US Nuclear Testing

Defending his decision to resume U.S. nuclear testing, President Donald Trump claimed he “had no choice” due to the alleged secret testing programs of rival nations. The order, posted on social media, instructed the “Department of War” to begin testing “on an equal basis.”
“I hated it,” Trump wrote in the post, which was made moments before a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. He claimed the U.S. arsenal had been completely updated but that new testing was now unavoidable.
In a follow-up interview, he accused China and Russia of conducting “way underground” tests. “I don’t want to be the only country that doesn’t test,” he said, also naming North Korea and Pakistan as active testers.
China’s foreign ministry issued a swift and strong denial. The ministry stated that China “upheld a self-defence nuclear strategy” and has consistently “abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing.”
Trump’s directive has raised international concerns, particularly as it follows Russia’s test of a new nuclear-powered missile. It remains unclear if the U.S. “testing” will involve actual nuclear detonations.