California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday called President Donald Trump’s directive to restart testing nuclear weapons in the United States “weakness masquerading as strength.”
“Look, this is weakness masquerading as strength. This is classic Trump and Trumpism. This guy is historically weak, and these are acts of a weak person that is trying to appear strong,” Newsom told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
Trump said Wednesday that he had directed the Defense Department to “immediately” start testing nuclear weapons, which the United States hasn’t done since 1992.
On the final leg of a trip through Asia, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “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.”
He also claimed in the post that the United States “has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country,” taking credit for a buildup of nuclear weapons during his first term. NBC News previously asked the White House for clarification about whether he meant nuclear-capable or nuclear weapons.
“This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office. 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,” Trump added.
Newsom accused him of directing the wrong federal agency to test the weapons.
“He doesn’t even know. He said the Pentagon should do it. Wake up, Mr. President. I know he may have jet lag. It’s the Department of Energy. He doesn’t even know which agency is responsible for that,” Newsom said.
Trump hasn’t clarified whether he was directing his administration to resume testing of nuclear explosives or nuclear delivery vehicles. The Energy Department would be responsible for the former, while the Defense Department would be responsible for the latter, according to experts.
On Thursday, Vice President JD Vance said, “I think the president’s truth speaks for itself.”
He added: “We have a big arsenal. Obviously, the Russians have a large nuclear arsenal. The Chinese have a large nuclear arsenal. Sometimes you’ve got to test it to make sure that it’s functioning and working properly.”
Trump posted the directive just before he was set to enter a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. After the meeting, Trump insisted to reporters that the Truth Social post was unrelated to Xi.
“That had nothing to do with them. It had to do with others … with others doing testing. I think it’s appropriate that we do also,” he told reporters on his flight back to the United States.
Newsom also blasted Trump for the meeting with Xi.
“I was humiliated watching the president of the United States in front of Xi,” Newsom said, adding: “I mean, he was negotiating away this country in the first five minutes of the photo-op. He came back with nothing. He got played by President Xi.”
Newsom said he specifically hoped Trump would negotiate a trade deal with Xi to bring down prices on certain goods in the United States before the holidays.
“The fact that you and I will be paying more for toys this Christmas and we are already paying more for Halloween bears truth to my assertion of the recklessness of his policies. He’s wrecking this country,” Newsom said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed this week that his country had tested a nuclear-capable super torpedo. Days earlier, Russia also claimed that it had successfully tested a nuclear-powered cruise missile with unlimited range.
In response to the cruise missile test, Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Monday that he didn’t think it was “an appropriate thing for Putin, for Putin to be saying,” calling on him to focus instead on ending the war with Russia.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Thursday, Trump said he hoped to achieve “denuclearization.”
“I think de-escalation would be — they would call it denuclearization — would be a tremendous thing, and it’s something — we are actually talking to Russia about that, and China would be added to that if we do something,” he said.
Newsom said Thursday that despite Trump’s rhetoric, he didn’t believe Trump would launch a nuclear weapon.
“I’ve had one or two private conversations with him where he actually calmed me a little bit talking about nuclear weapons. It’s, again, he’s trying to masquerade as a patriot, trying to masquerade, he’s trying to overcompensate, to be a tough guy,” Newsom said. Referring to the leader of North Korea, he added: “The only guy who’s been doing this is Kim Jong Un. I mean, so it — the whole thing is, it’s performative, from my perspective.”
After the United States’ last confirmed nuclear test in 1992, then-President George H.W. Bush announced a moratorium on underground nuclear testing, which every president — including Trump in his first term — has observed since.
The Nevada Legislature passed a unanimous resolution this year opposing any federal efforts to resume nuclear testing in the state, which once was a crucial testing ground for nuclear weapons.
According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Russia has the most confirmed nuclear weapons — 5,449 — while the United States has 5,277.