US President Trump has refused to confirm if the US will resume nuclear testing, which has been halted since 1992, following his late October remarks on ordering tests on an "equal basis" with other nuclear powers. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the controversial order as a "responsible way to maintain deterrence."
00:00U.S. President Donald Trump has refused to clarify if the U.S. will resume underground nuclear weapons testing.
00:07I'm not going to say anything. I mean, I know exactly what we're doing, where we're doing it, but other countries are doing it, and if other countries do it, we do it.
00:15The comments followed President Trump's social media post, instructing the Defense Department to resume testing of U.S. nuclear weapons on an equal basis with Russia and China, raising concerns over breaking the global nuclear norm.
00:30Defense Secretary Hexf, however, defended the decision, calling it a responsible way to maintain deterrence and mitigate international risks.
00:39But the president was clear. We need to have a credible nuclear deterrent. That is the baseline of our deterrence.
00:46And resuming testing is a pretty responsible, very responsible way to do that. I think it makes nuclear conflict less likely.
00:55The U.S. has halted its nuclear weapons in underground detonation tests since 1992.
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