Should the US Resume Nuclear Weapons Testing?

President Trump announced the Defense Department would begin testing US nuclear weapons "on an equal basis" with Russia and China, according to a post on Truth Social. While he didn't mention specifics about what the tests would involve, the announcement sparked mixed reactions across the political spectrum.

The Details: The announcement comes amid signs that Russia and China are expanding their nuclear capabilities. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said Russia had successfully tested a nuclear-powered cruise missile, and a nuclear-capable torpedo reportedly capable of traveling from Russia's east coast to the US west coast. South China Morning Post (Center bias) also reported China is expected to expand and modernize its nuclear arsenal as part of a proposed five year plan released last week.

'The US Should Improve its Nuclear Deterrent': A Wall Street Journal Opinion (Lean Right) piece argued Trump's order is a justified response to "threatening Russian nuclear behavior." The author wrote "whatever Mr. Trump means by 'testing,' the US should work urgently to improve and adapt its nuclear deterrent." They argued the US should not renew the New START treaty, calling it a "lopsided" Obama-era agreement that disadvantaged the US while enabling Russian noncompliance and allowing both Russia and China to expand their nuclear arsenals. The author concluded that fully modernizing the nuclear triad and expanding programs like the B-21 bomber would "help keep the peace, which is a better prize than the Nobel."

Global Resumption of Nuclear Testing: An opinion in the New York Times Opinion (Left) emphasized Trump's ambiguity is "worrisome not only because America's public can't know what he means, but because America's adversaries don't." They argued that ambiguity could usher in a reality where "resuming nuclear testing is an open question, rather than a closed chapter." The author noted the technical challenges to prepare the equipment and rebuild the infrastructure to conduct a full explosive weapons test. They also argued that testing "would essentially give Russia and China an incentive to resume their own testing," saying, "We're lucky to find ourselves living in an era where the deadliest weapons aren't routinely being exploded by leaders for show."

South Korea Gets a Nuclear Submarine: Also on Thursday, Trump permitted South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine, which will be built in Philadelphia. The agreement follows a meeting between Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, where Lee said South Korea's diesel-powered underwater vessels have limited capability to track other nations' submarines, and that acquiring nuclear-powered subs would lessen the defense burden on the US. The deal was part of a broader framework in which South Korea pledged $350 billion in US investments and gained reduced tariffs in exchange for greater cooperation.

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