Trump declines to rule out underground nuclear tests
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US President Donald Trump speaking to members of the media aboard Air Force One on Oct 31.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- Trump announced the US would resume nuclear testing after a 33-year pause, potentially targeting China and Russia.
- It is unclear if testing means underground nuclear explosions, managed by the National Nuclear Security Administration, or missile flight tests.
- Trump stated, "Other countries do it. If they're doing to do it, we're going to do it, okay?”, implying a response to other nations' actions.
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WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump reaffirmed on Oct 31 that the US would resume nuclear testing, and he did not answer directly when asked whether that would include the traditional underground nuclear tests that were common during the Cold War.
“You’ll find out very soon, but we’re going to do some testing” Mr Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Palm Beach, Florida, when asked about underground nuclear tests.
“Other countries do it. If they’re doing to do it, we’re going to do it, okay?”
Mr Trump on Oct 30 said he ordered the US military to immediately restart the process
Mr Trump made that surprise announcement on Truth Social while aboard his Marine One helicopter flying to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for a trade-negotiating session in Busan, South Korea.
It was not immediately clear whether Mr Trump was referring to nuclear-explosive testing, which would be carried out by the National Nuclear Security Administration, or flight testing of nuclear-capable missiles.
No nuclear power - other than North Korea most recently in 2017 - has carried out explosive nuclear testing in over 25 years. REUTERS
