The US is conducting nuclear tests periodically just like other nuclear powers. Subcritical nuclear testing is allowed. The last one was in 2024 https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/articles/nnsa-completes-subcriti... "NNSA successfully executed a subcritical experiment in the PULSE facility at the Nevada National Security Site. The experiment was executed in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory."
The US hasn't detonated a nuclear weapon since 1992. You can call the distinction a technicality if you like, but it doesn't seem like one to me.
There is psychological effect, but it's not that important. More important is keeping nuclear test ban in effect. If the US does test, Russia and China will follow.
The article you linked says this:
> This experiment performed as predicted; consistent with the self-imposed moratorium on nuclear explosive testing that the United States has held since 1992, it did not form a self-sustaining, supercritical chain reaction.
And yet, in the BBC article, Trump is said to have said:
> President Donald Trump has called on US military leaders to resume testing
Pretty obvious he doesn't mean "resume 2024 testing". He also said this:
> "With others doing testing, I think it's appropriate that we do also,"
Which would conflict with resuming the testing that was done in 2024 (if it ever stopped).
> Trump's announcement did not include details of how the tests would occur
Again, if it was what was happening in 2024, what new details would need to be added?
He has been obsessed with using nuclear weapons since he took office 2016. He even proposed nuking a hurricane.
Who is attention whore and bullshitter. For any other president statements equal policy, that's not so with Trump.
The statement is so vague that it does not indicate out of ordinary nuclear testing. The statement was made in TruthSocial. There is no presidendtial action (proclamation, memorandum, or executive order.) He might be just talking shit.
And now he's saying it when being asked by reporters.
https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3m4g67chzo226
> Q: What prompted you to announce you're resuming nuclear testing right before the meeting with Xi?
> TRUMP: They seem to all be nuclear testing. We have more nuclear weapons than anybody. We don't do testing. We halted it many years ago, but w/ others doing testing I think it's appropriate we do also
I think he's pretty explicitly saying that he wants to start doing testing we aren't currently doing.
I think he is saying something confused and vague.
Others are only testing the delivery vehicles for nuclear weapons (missiles, submarines), not the nuclear weapons themselves. So "Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis" may also mean that the weapons won't be detonated in these tests.
Everything is now. That’s what you get when you build a mind rape device that explicitly rewards attention whoring an other antisocial behavior.