Trump insists on nuclear tests as senior officials oppose any detonation
While U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his intention to conduct nuclear tests, it has emerged that senior officials strongly oppose including any detonations in such plans.
Trump stated that the United States would conduct tests on nuclear weapons just like other countries, but he declined to clarify whether these plans would involve detonating a nuclear warhead.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he headed to Florida for the weekend, he said he did not wish to disclose further details, but maintained that the United States would conduct nuclear tests similar to other nations.
Last month, Trump ordered the U.S. military to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing after a 33-year halt. He announced the decision unexpectedly on Truth Social while traveling by helicopter to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for trade talks in Busan, South Korea.
In this context, CNN revealed that senior nuclear officials in the Trump administration plan to meet at the White House in the coming days in an attempt to dissuade the president from resuming nuclear testing.
According to two informed sources, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Director Brandon Williams, and officials from national laboratories intend to tell the White House that they do not believe detonating nuclear warheads is an acceptable option.
The NNSA, part of the Department of Energy, is the agency responsible for building, testing, and maintaining the nuclear stockpile, unlike the Department of Defense.
A White House official stated that, considering the testing programs conducted by other countries, the president instructed the Departments of Defense and Energy to test U.S. nuclear weapons on an equal footing.
He added that no option had been ruled out and that decision-making authority ultimately rests with the president.
Ben Dietrich, spokesperson for the Department of Energy, rejected the idea that agency officials would discourage the White House from resuming tests.
He stated that the Trump administration continues to explore all options to expand nuclear testing in line with other nations.
The United States already tests all components of its nuclear weapon systems except the explosive nuclear materials within the warheads.
The last full nuclear test was conducted in 1992, before President Bill Clinton banned such practices in 1996.
Trump’s recent proposal comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted in October about Moscow’s successful test of the “Poseidon” nuclear torpedo.
In a recent interview on “60 Minutes,” Trump said that Russia’s announcement was one of the reasons behind his stance. He added that North Korea and other countries continue to perform tests, and that he does not want the United States to be the only nation not conducting them.
During the upcoming meeting at the White House, NNSA and Department of Energy officials are expected to inform the administration that there will be no tests involving explosive nuclear materials. They will attempt to steer the White House toward a practical plan that requires no detonations, according to one source.
These officials hope this approach will give Trump a path to align with the NNSA’s position.
However, Trump retains the authority to order tests regardless of expert objections.
Marisa Smilag, NNSA spokesperson, said the agency does not comment on private or potential meetings with the White House, especially those concerning nuclear security.
According to sources, Trump’s proposal caused confusion within the NNSA. One source stated that no one had anticipated it.
Chris Wright told Fox News earlier this month that nuclear tests are system tests rather than nuclear explosions.
Asked this week about the precise meaning of Trump’s statements, a senior White House official said the president had been “deliberately ambiguous.”
He added that Trump became increasingly committed to the idea during his trip to Asia, after several foreign leaders raised the issue directly with him.
Another administration official said they interpreted Trump’s remarks as an interest in additional testing of missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, rather than detonating nuclear devices.
So far, Trump’s statements have not altered the administration’s policy: there are no ongoing plans to detonate nuclear weapons for testing purposes.
