US Energy Secretary Clarifies Trump's Call for Weapons Testing

Mon Nov 03 2025 18:09:47 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Following President Trump's recent comments about resuming nuclear weapons testing, Energy Secretary Chris Wright reassures the public that these tests do not involve nuclear explosions.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright has addressed global concerns regarding President Donald Trump's call for increased military weapons testing. Wright clarified that the planned activities do not involve nuclear explosions, stating they are categorized as 'non-critical explosions.' This assurance came after Trump suggested that the US should test its nuclear arsenal similarly to other nations. Wright emphasized that citizens living near historical testing sites should not worry about any potential mushroom clouds.

The U.S. is not planning to conduct nuclear explosions, Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said, calming global concerns after President Donald Trump called on the military to resume weapons testing.

These are not nuclear explosions, Wright told Fox News on Sunday. These are what we call non-critical explosions.

The comments come days after Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had directed defense officials to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis with rival powers.

But Wright, whose agency oversees testing, said people living in the Nevada desert should have no worries about seeing a mushroom cloud.

Americans near historic test sites such as the Nevada National Security Site have no cause for concern, Wright reiterated. So you're testing all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the appropriate geometry, and they set up the nuclear explosion.

Trump's comments on Truth Social last week were interpreted by many as a sign the U.S. was preparing to restart full-scale nuclear blasts for the first time since 1992.

In an interview with 60 Minutes on CBS, which was recorded on Friday and aired on Sunday, Trump reiterated his statement. I'm saying that we're going to test nuclear weapons like other countries do, yes, Trump said when asked by CBS's Norah O'Donnell if the U.S. planned to detonate a nuclear weapon again.

Russia's testing, and China's testing, but they don't talk about it, he added.

Russia and China have not conducted such tests since 1990 and 1996, respectively.

Pressed further on the topic, Trump said: They don't go and tell you about it.

I don't want to be the only country that doesn't test, he said, noting North Korea and Pakistan as examples of nations that allegedly test their arsenals.

Meanwhile, China's foreign ministry denied conducting nuclear weapons tests. As a responsible nuclear-weapons state, they affirmed their commitment to a self-defense nuclear strategy.

Wright's remarks aim to alleviate fears among citizens near nuclear testing sites, promoting a clearer understanding of the U.S. stance on nuclear weaponry.