During a conversation with reporters aboard Air Force One, he noted: "You will find out soon, but we are going to conduct some tests. If other countries are doing it, then we should do it too, understand?"
Trump had previously announced an order to resume nuclear testing, doing so on social media while flying on Marine One to Busan, where a meeting with Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping was planned to discuss trade issues.
The president did not specify what exact tests would be conducted—these could include both explosive tests and tests of missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Experts express concern that such actions could lead to dangerous escalation amid the growing global proliferation of nuclear technologies.
Since the last nuclear weapon test in the U.S., which took place in the early 1990s, no nuclear power, except for North Korea, has conducted such tests in the last 25 years.
In Congress, Trump's statement sparked a strong reaction. Nevada Representative Dina Titus introduced a bill aimed at banning the resumption of nuclear testing and blocking its funding.
She noted: "The resumption of testing could provoke retaliatory actions from Russia and China, which would once again expose the residents of Nevada to the threat of radiation and environmental destruction."
In Moscow, Trump's words were met with caution. A Kremlin spokesperson stated that Russia had not been notified of U.S. plans to resume testing, adding: "If someone abandons the moratorium, Russia will act according to the situation."
Additionally, the Kremlin emphasized that they have no information about any countries currently conducting nuclear warhead tests.
