Donald Trump has defended his unverified claims of secret nuclear tests by China and Russia, alleging they are conducted “way underground where people don’t know exactly what’s happening.” This defense came as he announced the U.S. would resume its own testing.
The former president’s order, delivered via social media, instructed the “Department of War” to begin testing “immediately” and “on an equal basis” with rivals. He stated he “had no choice” but to make the move.
China’s foreign ministry forcefully denied the accusations. Beijing’s statement emphasized its status as a “responsible nuclear-weapons state” and its long-standing adherence to a “self-defence” strategy and a testing moratorium.
During his ‘60 minutes’ interview, Trump also boasted of U.S. nuclear superiority. “We have more nuclear weapons than any other country,” he said, claiming the U.S. could “blow up the world 150 times.” He asserted that Russia has “a lot” of weapons, while China is a “distant third.”
This escalation comes after Russia tested a new nuclear-powered missile. It remains unclear if Trump’s order for “testing” refers to computer simulations or a return to physical nuclear detonations.