Democrats Oppose U.S. Nuclear Testing as China and Russia Expand Arsenals

President Donald Trump has directed the Department of War to “immediately” resume nuclear weapons testing in order to maintain strategic parity with Russia and China. The order effectively ends a U.S. moratorium on nuclear testing that has been in place since 1992.

The announcement came Wednesday, October 29, 2025, ahead of President Trump’s scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. The President said the decision was made to ensure the United States remains on “an equal basis” with other nuclear powers that have continued testing programs.

It remains unclear whether the directive involves full-scale nuclear explosive tests or tests of nuclear-capable delivery systems. A Congressional Research Service report from August estimated that it would take 24 to 36 months for the U.S. to conduct a live nuclear test after an official order is issued.

President Trump argued that both Russia and China have been conducting tests in violation of longstanding international norms, saying the U.S. must not fall behind in deterrence capability. His announcement follows recent Russian tests of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile and the Poseidon underwater drone—both next-generation strategic weapons.

Currently, the United States remains the world’s top military power overall but ranks second in nuclear weapon count. According to the Arms Control Association and the Federation of American Scientists, Russia possesses roughly 5,459 nuclear warheads, compared to 5,177 for the U.S. and about 600 for China.

The Nuclear Employment Strategy report, released in November 2024, identified the U.S. as facing “multiple nuclear competitors.” Russia poses the most immediate threat with its vast, modern arsenal, while China is rapidly expanding and modernizing its own triad. North Korea continues to develop new capabilities as well.

Under the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review, U.S. nuclear weapons are meant primarily to deter nuclear attacks against the U.S., its allies, and its partners. The review also emphasizes “tailored deterrence” to address Russia, China, and North Korea simultaneously—through a mix of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and strategic bombers. A portion of the U.S. nuclear force remains on continuous alert, with human oversight required for all critical launch decisions.

Since 1992, the U.S. has honored a voluntary moratorium on nuclear explosive testing, maintaining its arsenal’s reliability through the Science-Based Stockpile Stewardship Program at the Nevada National Security Site. While both the Trump and Biden administrations reaffirmed the moratorium, renewed great-power competition has reignited debate over whether testing should resume.

From 1945 to 1992, the United States conducted 1,054 nuclear tests—most at the Nevada site. Washington remains bound by the 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits atmospheric and underwater tests, and the 1974 Threshold Test Ban Treaty, which limits underground explosions to under 150 kilotons. The U.S. signed but never ratified the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Russia revoked its ratification in 2023, while China and the U.S. have never ratified, though both continue to observe its principles voluntarily.

Meanwhile, Russia’s nuclear doctrine has shifted dramatically. A new version of Moscow’s Basic Principles of State Policy on Nuclear Deterrence, adopted in November 2024, lowers the threshold for nuclear use. It authorizes nuclear strikes in response to any “critical threat to the sovereignty or territorial integrity” of Russia or Belarus—far broader than the previous standard, which limited use to situations where “the existence of the state is at risk.”

The updated policy also extends Russia’s nuclear protection to Belarus and to annexed Ukrainian regions such as Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Analysts say this effectively treats any Western-backed attack on those areas as a potential trigger for nuclear escalation.

Despite the rhetoric, Ukraine has continued to launch strikes inside Russia and Russian-occupied territories without prompting a nuclear response—suggesting the lowered threshold may serve more as a psychological deterrent than an operational one.

Back in Washington, the President’s decision has sparked sharp partisan debate. Supporters argue that resuming testing is a necessary step to strengthen U.S. deterrence and restore leverage in arms control negotiations. Critics warn it could ignite a new arms race, undermine global nonproliferation efforts, and pose environmental risks.

Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada said the order “directly contradicts commitments” she previously secured from administration nominees who told her nuclear testing was unnecessary. Representative Dina Titus of Nevada pledged to introduce legislation blocking any resumption of tests. Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire called the move “dangerous and reckless,” saying it would “reopen a dark chapter in American history.”

While Democrats express concern that renewed testing could antagonize Moscow or Beijing, President Trump maintains that strength, not restraint, is the surest path to peace.

Meanwhile, leaders in China, Russia, and North Korea—Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un—continue expanding and testing their arsenals largely without internal political resistance.

Original Source