Markey Urges Trump to Refrain from Resuming Nuclear Testing

Letter Text (PDF)
Boston (November 25, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a co-chair of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, today wrote to President Trump, urging him to refrain from restarting the United States’ nuclear testing program. To do so, he writes, would be a “mistake of radioactive proportions.”
President Trump has been undeterred by the facts surrounding nuclear testing in recent weeks. He has claimed he wants to conduct nuclear tests because other nations are doing so, but they are not. He has also appeared to double down on this dangerous and misguided path, having said that Russia and China are conducting nuclear tests in secret.
In the letter, Senator Markey writes, “You have suggested that Russia and China are conducting small nuclear tests that are hard to detect, sometimes referred to as ‘hydronuclear’ tests, in violation of U.S. policy and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Reports of such tests from 2019 raise concerns, but they are unconfirmed. Even if true, they would not justify renewed U.S. nuclear testing. Make no mistake—small nuclear tests are still nuclear tests.”
Senator Markey continues,“With no need to resume nuclear testing, it appears that the root cause of this entire kerfuffle is your confusion about what a nuclear test is and is not. Russia recently tested two new missiles—called Poseidon and Skyfall—that are designed to evade U.S. missile defenses. But there were no nuclear warheads on these missiles. You apparently mixed up the testing ofmissilesthat deliver nuclear weapons to their targets and the testing of thenuclear bombsthat those missiles carry. Russia did not test nuclear bombs.”
Senator Markey concludes,“Accordingly, I am compelled to ask whether you are proposing to resume U.S. nuclear testing with the intention of initiating a new nuclear arms race, or whether your statements reflect a misunderstanding of the difference between missile tests and nuclear explosive tests. As horrific as it sounds, it seems that you may be on the verge of undermining U.S. and global security just so you don’t have to admit that you were wrong.”
Senator Markey requests a response to questions including:
As a founder of the national Nuclear Freeze movement, Senator Markey has worked to end the proliferation of nuclear weapons since the beginning of his career.
Senator Markey has long been a champion pushing for deep and verifiable reductions in nuclear arsenals.
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