WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified on Sunday that the nuclear weapons system testing, recently ordered by President Donald Trump, will not involve nuclear detonations.
This announcement provided much-needed clarity following Trump’s social media post last week, where he stated he had directed the “Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.”
During a discussion on Fox News’ “Sunday Briefing,” Wright explained, “The tests we’re discussing are system tests, not nuclear explosions. These are referred to as noncritical explosions.”
Wright emphasized that the upcoming tests will focus on evaluating “all the other components of a nuclear weapon to ensure they achieve the correct geometry to initiate a nuclear explosion.”
Uncertainty about Trump’s intentions arose just before a pivotal meeting he had with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. Trump’s post on Truth Social seemed to imply a potential end to the long-standing U.S. ban on nuclear weapon testing.
As Trump returned to Washington, he remained ambiguous about whether his statement implied a renewal of explosive nuclear tests—conducted only by North Korea in recent years—or if it pertained to testing delivery systems, which is a more common practice.
He remained opaque on Friday when asked by reporters about whether he intended to resume underground nuclear detonation tests.
“You’ll find out very soon,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, as he headed to Florida for a weekend stay.
The U.S. military regularly tests its missiles that are capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, but it has not detonated the weapons since 1992. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which the U.S. signed but did not ratify, has been observed since its adoption by all countries possessing nuclear weapons, North Korea being the only exception.
Trump announced his plans for nuclear tests after Russia announced it had tested a new atomic-powered and nuclear-capable underwater drone and a new nuclear-powered cruise missile.
Russia responded to Trump’s nuclear testing comments by underscoring that it did not test its nuclear weapons and has abided by a global ban on nuclear testing.
The Kremlin warned though, that if the U.S. resumes testing its weapons, Russia will as well — an intensification that would restart Cold War-era tensions.
