President Trump Orders U.S. to Prepare for Resumption of Nuclear Weapons Testing, Ending Three-Decade Moratorium

In a move set to radically reshape the global non-proliferation landscape, President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order directing the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense to immediately prepare for the resumption of underground nuclear weapons testing. The decision effectively ends a $\text{33}$-year U.S. self-imposed moratorium on nuclear explosions.

The controversial order, which was quietly announced late Wednesday, October 29, 2025, cites the need to “ensure the durability and reliability of the U.S. nuclear deterrent” in the face of what the administration calls “unprecedented nuclear posturing and rapid weapons modernization” by rival global powers, specifically naming China and Russia.

According to a White House statement, the resumption of testing is necessary to validate new warhead designs and certify the integrity of the aging U.S. nuclear stockpile. This marks a dramatic reversal of policy, which has historically relied on subcritical testing and advanced computer simulations since the last full nuclear test was conducted in $\text{1992}$.

Defense Secretary David Norquist, in a prepared statement, supported the President’s move, arguing that “while the U.S. remains committed to arms control, we cannot allow adversaries to gain a tactical or strategic advantage that threatens American security.”

The decision is expected to be met with fierce international opposition and is seen as a direct challenge to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which the U.S. has signed but not ratified. Non-proliferation experts warn that the resumption of testing by the U.S. could trigger a dangerous global nuclear arms race, giving countries like India, Pakistan, and North Korea justification to conduct their own explosive tests.

The Executive Order directs the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to ensure the former Nevada Test Site is ready to conduct tests with “expedited readiness,” though it did not specify an exact date for the first potential explosion.