After 30 years, Trump brings back nuclear tests: Here’s why it’s raising global alarms

He commented on Truth Social just hours before he met Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office," Trump wrote on the social media platform.

"Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years," he said.

In his message, Trump said: "Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP."

It will be the first time in more than 30 years that the US will execute a nuclear bomb if Trump's Truth Social post is followed.

The US conducted its last nuclear testing in 1992.

Trump's post did not specify whether he was planning to test a nuclear weapon or a weapon system that would be able to deliver a nuclear weapon.

Congresswoman Dina Titus opposed his stance and wrote on X: "Absolutely not. I’ll be introducing legislation to put a stop to this."

No nation has tested a nuclear weapon in recent years except North Korea.

The US was the only nation to use nuclear weapons in warfare when it dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War.

According to estimates,  140,000 people were killed in Hiroshima and 74,000 in Nagasaki.

The  Federation of American Scientists said of the world’s approximate 12,241 nuclear warheads, roughly 9,614 are in the military stockpiles for use by missiles, aircraft, ships and submarines.   

The exact number of nuclear weapons present with the countries remain a secret.

"The United States is still reducing its nuclear stockpile slowly. France and Israel have relatively stable inventories. But China, India, North Korea, Pakistan and the United Kingdom, as well as possibly Russia, are all thought to be increasing their stockpiles,"  Federation of American Scientists said.