Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon is moving “quickly” on President Trump’s directive to restart nuclear weapons testing to ensure the U.S. has the “most capable” nuclear arsenal in the world.
Hegseth said Friday, during his meeting with Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, that the Department of Defense (DOD) will work with the Department of Energy (DOE) on nuclear testing and added that Trump has been “clear” the U.S. needs to have a “credible nuclear deterrent.”
“That is the baseline of our deterrence, and so having understanding and resuming testing is a pretty responsible, very responsible, way to do that. I think it makes nuclear conflict less likely if you know what you have and make sure it operates properly,” the Defense secretary said. “So it’s the right directive. We’re moving out quickly, and America will ensure that we have the strongest, most capable nuclear arsenal, so that we maintain peace through strength.”
Trump directed the Pentagon Wednesday night to immediately start testing nuclear weapons on an equal basis to Russia and China.
It is unclear if the tests would be conducted above the ground and where they would potentially take place. The U.S. paused explosive testing of nuclear arms in 1992.
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), housed under the DOE, works on ensuring the security, safety and effectiveness of the country’s nuclear weapons stockpile.
The Pentagon declined to comment.
Trump’s directive came as a warning to Russia, an order that has garnered praise from some Republicans and sparked questions from Democrats who worry about the potential cost and safety of such actions.
“If we did a test and then China decided, ‘OK, I’m going to start testing.’ They’ll start testing their nuclear weapons, then their strategic forces capability gets much better,” Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a member of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee with oversight of America’s nuclear arsenal, told reporters Thursday. “We have zero to gain. This would be a gift to China.”
Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Thursday that the president’s order is “not escalatory.”
“Nobody believes he’s [Putin] going to use nuclear weapons … having said that, he’s been doing this all along trying to intimidate Trump,” Risch said. “I think Trump was saying, I’m not intimidated about it.”
Hegseth said Friday the U.S. does not “seek” conflict with China or any other country, but argued “the stronger we are, the stronger our alliances are, the more we work with allies in this region and around the world. I think the less likely conflict becomes.”
