US President Donald Trump has instructed the Pentagon to begin nuclear weapons testing on an equal footing with other major powers like Russia and China, a move that has raised alarm among experts. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated that due to other countries' testing programs, he had ordered the Department of War to start testing its nuclear arsenal "on an equal basis." This announcement came just hours before Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
The United States has not conducted a full-scale nuclear test since 1992. However, it has carried out various other tests, such as simulated explosions and experiments on nuclear-capable missiles. China and Russia have also tested their nuclear capabilities, with Russia recently conducting a successful test of its Burevestnik cruise missile. The Kremlin described the test as part of efforts to ensure national security.
Trump's reference to "on an equal basis" left it unclear what specific testing would take place or whether he was referring to displays of power similar to those conducted by Russia. This move has sparked concerns among lawmakers, with Congresswoman Dina Titus promising to introduce legislation to stop the test. The US currently has 5,044 nuclear warheads, while Russia has more than 5,500.
The timing of this announcement comes amid heightened tensions between the US and China, as well as Russia. Trump's claims that the US had a greater nuclear arsenal than any other country were also disputed by fact-checkers. Despite efforts to reduce nuclear arms, little progress has been made in reducing the number of nuclear warheads.
The United States has not conducted a full-scale nuclear test since 1992. However, it has carried out various other tests, such as simulated explosions and experiments on nuclear-capable missiles. China and Russia have also tested their nuclear capabilities, with Russia recently conducting a successful test of its Burevestnik cruise missile. The Kremlin described the test as part of efforts to ensure national security.
Trump's reference to "on an equal basis" left it unclear what specific testing would take place or whether he was referring to displays of power similar to those conducted by Russia. This move has sparked concerns among lawmakers, with Congresswoman Dina Titus promising to introduce legislation to stop the test. The US currently has 5,044 nuclear warheads, while Russia has more than 5,500.
The timing of this announcement comes amid heightened tensions between the US and China, as well as Russia. Trump's claims that the US had a greater nuclear arsenal than any other country were also disputed by fact-checkers. Despite efforts to reduce nuclear arms, little progress has been made in reducing the number of nuclear warheads.
I'm so worried about what's happening with these nuclear tests... it feels like we're walking on a tightrope with the whole world watching. The thought of all those nuclear warheads just sitting there, waiting to be triggered is keeping me up at night 
. It's scary to think about how quickly things could escalate into something catastrophic. Trump's announcement has me feeling really anxious and unsure what the future holds... will we ever see a world where diplomacy and peaceful resolution prevail? 
It's not even clear what Trump means by "on an equal basis" - is he talking about actual tests or just some kind of show of force? I don't think this is a good idea at all... We need to be careful with our nuclear arsenal, we can't just start playing games like this. 
And have you seen the numbers? 5,044 nuclear warheads in the US and Russia has way more than that? 
! The thought of Trump ordering nuclear testing on an equal footing with Russia and China is, like, super unsettling 
Is he talking about a full-scale test or just some fancy display of power? 
It's so unclear... 
. We need more voices saying "hold up, let's think this through" 
. And honestly, 5,044 nuclear warheads just seems crazy 
Not exactly reassuring, you know? And what's up with the timing? Just when Trump is meeting Xi Jinping in South Korea, announcing this move? That's like saying "Hey, let's get the nuclear hammering started now that I'm having a chat with our biggest competitor". Give me a break! 
It's like he wants to make an example out of China, show them who's boss. Meanwhile, Russia is just trying to boost their national security. And what about Congresswoman Titus? She's already promising legislation to stop the test... this could get ugly 
and congresswoman dina titus is right we need more regulation on these things not less 
5,044 nuclear warheads is already way too many in my opinion we should be working towards peace not trying to one-up each other in a game of nuke-wars 
he's basically asking for a nuke meltdown between us and china/russia... like, we're already on high alert with tensions between us and china rn 
. i guess only time will tell if trump's "on an equal basis" statement means we'll be testing nukes in a public display or something, like a big nuke show 
...
with Russia & China? Like, what's next?! We're already living in a world where nuclear war feels like a real possibility... can we please just work towards disarmament instead of increasing tensions?! 
! Can we please get some adult leadership on this?! 
. I don't think anyone really knows what's going on here, but maybe we should just take a deep breath and not jump to conclusions. After all, Trump's got some legit concerns about national security too... maybe he's onto something 
. And can we talk about how awesome it is that the US has 5,044 nuclear warheads? That's like, a lot of nukes! 
. Trump's just trying to level the playing field, you know? Like, we can't just sit back and let Russia and China get all the attention. It's only fair that the US shows its hand too 
. Plus, it's not like they're planning on actually using these nukes or anything 
. Let's not be too quick to judge, folks 
! The US needs to level up its nuclear game and show the world who's boss! Trump is right on point, we've been sitting idly by for too long while China and Russia are flexing their muscles 
. I mean, 5,500 nukes from Russia? That's cute 
. We need to match that with some serious firepower of our own.
. It's about time someone showed those other countries who's boss! The fact that Congresswoman Titus wants to stop it? Please, she's just trying to be part of the problem 
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. It's all about taking things to the next level and making bold moves 
. Bring it on, China and Russia! We're ready for you! 
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The fact that our military is already stressing about testing programs makes me wonder what kind of tensions we're really dealing with here... are we just trying to show off? 
this is really scary news... i mean, think about it - we're already living in such uncertain times with all these tensions between nations... and now trump wants to go ahead and test nukes? 
It feels like a big step towards something bad. I don't get why he's gotta do this, like what's the point of testing nukes just for show? 
. The US has not conducted a full-scale nuclear test since 1992, and now they're just gonna go ahead and start doing it again? That's a huge deal.
. Newsflash, Mr. Trump: just because other countries are testing their nuclear capabilities doesn't mean you need to do the same. It's like saying "oh, look at them, they have a bigger house, so I'm gonna build an even bigger one" 
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It's so infuriating!
... Trump saying "on an equal basis" just sounds like a bunch of hot air to me, like he's trying to prove something but really he's just stirring the pot 
...