Claim:
In October 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, “I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.”
Rating:
In late October 2025, a rumor swirled online (archived, archived, archived) that U.S. President Donald Trump announced he had instructed the Department of Defense to resume testing nuclear weapons — something the country hadn’t done since 1992. Dozens of Snopes readers also searched the site for verification of the rumor.
The claim was accurate. Minutes before meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump posted the following (archived) on Oct. 30 on his Truth Social account:
The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office. Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years. Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
(Truth Social account @realDonaldTrump)
It was unclear where the testing would take place, or on what timeline. Although Trump said the process would “begin immediately,” neither the Defense Department — which the Trump administration has called the Department of War — nor the National Nuclear Security Administration had made any official announcements, as of this writing.
We reached out to both agencies seeking comment and further context regarding the testing’s location, timeline and potential impact on the public. We will update this story if we receive a response.
Historically, the Department of Defense has not overseen explosive nuclear testing in the U.S.; the National Nuclear Security Administration — part of the Department of Energy — has conducted this work. Full-scale nuclear testing came to an end in 1992, according to Nevada National Security Sites, where the tests took place.
