The right response is not for the United States to be the first to blow up (pun intended) the moratorium that has held since the 1990s, but seek clarification on what they are doing with reciprocal insight into the US program so we don't end up in an escalation based on fear and accusations. 11/11

When these happen, the world knows. What if Russia and China were doing small scale experiments, like the US does in NV, but they were going a little critical? It is true that we might not know, and the State Department has raised these questions in the past. www.state.gov/adherence-to... 10/11

The only country to do underground nuclear tests in recent years is North Korea, last in 2017. We know this because the CTBTO International Monitoring System can detect any full scale nuclear weapons tests, anywhere in the world and has proven it. www.ctbto.org/our-work/int... 9/11

Trump said that Russia, China, North Korea, Pakistan are all "testing" and went on to say, "You don't necessarily know where they're testing," and "They [test] underground where people don't know exactly what's happening with the test." Here, he is a little right and a lot wrong. 8/11

China is also testing nuclear delivery vehicles. Spoiler alert: so does the US, including a planned Sentinel ICBM flight test in 2026. When Trump said on 60 Minutes, "I'm saying that we're going to test nuclear weapons like other countries do." This would indicate status quo. 7/11

Trump also said, "Other countries are testing. We're the only country that doesn't test" Well, it depends what he means by testing, and this interview did little to clear up the confusion. Russia last week "tested" two new nuclear delivery vehicles (www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/w...) 6/11

...the fastest measured supercomputer in the world, the DAHRT and Z machines, and more. More includes the PULSE facility at Nevada where we combine nuclear material and high explosives to study nuclear weapons performance WITHOUT creating a chain reaction, consistent with our int'l commitments. 5/11

But the main reason is because we have invested billions of dollars in tools and experimental facilities to understand how nuclear weapons work. These facilities include the National Ignition Facility (www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Eh2.... 4/11

Why is that? Because we have the data from more than 1000 nuclear tests (for comparison, USSR/Russia did 715, China <50, North Korea has done 6; see www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/n... for more). 3/11

One answer to the question, "So why do we need to test our nuclear weapons?" was "Well, because you have to see how they work." The good news is that we know more about how nuclear weapons work now than we ever did in the era of nuclear testing. 2/11

Gee, I don’t know, Linda. This could really have helped David and Moira.

As irrationally hopeful as ever!

I think the langauge could have been more precise.

Happy to help decode. The key words are “has helped eliminate weapons-usable nuclear material.” NNSA will have partnered to eliminate nuclear material from 49 counties+Taiwan, but that is not the same as a full country clean-out.

My point is that these are investments that are supposed to protect us on bad day, when things are unstable, and when we need tools and processes urgently. It is shortsighted to think we can protect the US and our allies with offensive weapons alone. 5/5

And what if we fear that material is out of national control and crossing borders? Sorry, those working with ~100 countries to improve detection at ports and borders are being cut another 20%. 4/5

Not to mention the office that supports international inspectors on the ground in Iran providing the world with first-hand information, is cut by another $6 million, after a reduction already in 2025. These experts also support safe expansion of nuclear energy globally. 3/5

The Mobile Packaging Program is the cavalry we would need. Very unfortunate that the office that manages this is slashed by more than $53 million in the president's 2026 budget request. 2/5 www.energy.gov/nnsa/article...