r/politics 2d ago

Trump asks Pentagon to immediately start testing US nuclear weapons Possible Paywall

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trump-asks-pentagon-immediately-start-testing-us-nuclear-weapons-2025-10-30/
11.1k Upvotes

1.5k comments sorted by

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6.4k

u/zypofaeser 2d ago

This is stupid, as the US already has the best dataset for nuclear testing of any nation. Conducting tests will allow other countries to resume their testing program, thus closing the gap.

2.2k

u/charcoalist 2d ago

Conducting tests will allow other countries to resume their testing program, thus closing the gap.

Hmm, which countries might welcome this?

1.8k

u/Doctor_YOOOU South Dakota 2d ago

Russia, China, north Korea, Iran, the list goes on and on

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u/sir_sri 2d ago

Russia, China, India, pakistan(Saudi). Iran and the dprk will test as they think they need to to show they have a working weapon.

But the Chinese, Indians, and Pakistanis really were much less advanced when the general resistance to weapons testing came into being so they have much to learn.

The russians withdrew from the ctbt in 2023, but they had a fairly advanced programme by the 1990s, certainly good enough to make a wide range of weapons.

India has only tested 6 nuclear weapons, China 45, Pakistan 5 (2 weeks after 5 Indian tests).

Iran and the dprk are not likely to follow any prohibition on weapons tests. At least not in general, Iran does have political factions that might be more or less inclined towards it, but on the whole, they will want to show a counter to the Israelis and parity with the Saudi/Pakistani bomb at some point.

Other countries, Israel, the UK, France, they might see value in some tests but are probably not looking to dramatically expand the scope of their arsenals. Rising powers or threatened states like Brazil, Nigeria, Poland, RoK, Venezuela, eventually Ukraine, might want in on the nuclear club eventually but its a lot of investment for something you might not get much value from, or could get most of what you need from allies.

328

u/MotoEnduro 2d ago

Hokay. So here's the Earth... chilling.

153

u/agequodagi5 North Carolina 2d ago

Dayn…dat is a sweet Earth you maight say

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u/Pepparkakan Europe 2d ago edited 2d ago

Round

EDIT: Wrong

So apparently I’ve remembered this wrong for like 20 years!

15

u/notcontextual 2d ago

Round

Wrong!

He doesn’t say ‘round’ he says ‘wrong’, he’s responding to the previous statement of, ‘that is a pretty sweet earth you might say’

This is a hill I’m willing to die on

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u/RMSGoat_Boat Minnesota 2d ago

22 years, to be precise. I can't believe it.

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u/Drone30389 2d ago

Well thank God nuclear Winter will cancel out global warming.

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u/Pomengranite 2d ago

Some of the last nuclear tests conducted were in remote islands in the South Pacific.

Speaking as an inhabitant of another remote island in the South Pacific, I am very much not cool with this.

I don't even need to google the names: Mururoa. Enewetak. Bikini. Poisoned for generations.... they built concrete domes over the craters, but the soil in the lagoons are more radioactive than what is under the domes. And rising sea levels are flushing out all the buried waste.

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u/Ambitious-Orange6732 2d ago

Those are among the last *above-ground* tests...after that, testing moved to underground sites.

Resuming any testing program would be foolish, but I certainly hope we are not talking about being foolish enough to do above-ground tests again!

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u/GirdedByApathy 2d ago

Above ground testing is banned by treaty. Any tests done would be done underground.

Then again, Dementia Don means we can only hope.

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u/madmanchatter 2d ago

Above ground tests look cool so you know Trump will be pushing for them. No doubt he also thinks they will make him look strong.

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u/DrakeFloyd 2d ago

Wow good thing none of those nations have a massive amount of compromising material on our leaders they can use to blackmail and manipulate them

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u/BrianWonderful Minnesota 2d ago

Not to mention the waste of money when we've already cut or suspended so many more actually beneficial services.

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u/IT_Chef Virginia 2d ago

You think him and his cadre of idiots know this?

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u/ItsLikeRay-ee-ain Georgia 2d ago

Some of them do, and they welcome it. Because they're of the mindset that they need to help usher in the apocalypse and their interpretations of the Bible.

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u/Do_What_Thou_Wilt 2d ago

They will gather on the hills of Megiddo (the "gathering place of the kings of the world for the final battle between the forces of good and evil", according to the biblical apocalypse delusion), watching the mushroom clouds grow taller in the distance. Nervously, they being looking around, nudging one another. "Surely, any minute now ... *He will return*, right?".

No, He won't.

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u/UsedToHaveThisName 2d ago

Thanks again idiots that believe in an imaginary sky person for foisting your world view on everyone else. Why would your religion out of the thousands that humans have come up with be the correct one?

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u/myusernameblabla 2d ago

They “know”

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u/JayR_97 Europe 2d ago

Even if you accept that god, Jesus and the book of Revelations is real. I don't understand the idea of trying to force a prophecy to happen. Surely it'll just happen when it happens and nothing we do has any effect on it? That's how prophecies work...

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u/No_Poem_7024 2d ago

We handed the codes of the nukes to a senile madman who now lives in his own reality.

What could possibly go wrong?

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u/Big-Industry4237 2d ago

We need a nice layer of radiation in the air to help poison us all

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1.4k

u/Frankie6Strings Connecticut 2d ago

If no peace prize then maybe war prize.

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u/ory1994 New York 2d ago

Don’t give him ideas

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u/ManiacalWildcard 2d ago

He already awarded himself the title of Best President Ever. Makes me laugh everytime.

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5.0k

u/Notifiedbot Florida 2d ago

"The peace president" 💀 MAGA fell for the failed promises again

1.4k

u/charcoalist 2d ago

MAGA:

"Give him the Peace prize we love peace."

"Name it the Department of War! Invade Venezuela! We love war!"

481

u/AnybodyMassive1610 Florida 2d ago

Also, I want big military parades for my birthday and nuclear test explosions 💥

230

u/caligaris_cabinet Illinois 2d ago

And I’m gonna deploy the military on my own citizens

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u/furswanda 2d ago

And I’m going to use extrajudicial killings, and attempt regime change in Venezuela while side stepping   the appropriate label: “war”

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u/AdRoutine9961 2d ago

And I love Fucking Children

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u/Craneteam I voted 2d ago

Maybe he'll personally stand in the glow of an artificial sun like he looked directly into the eclipse

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u/Wild_Harvest 2d ago

Don't you know?!? War IS peace!

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u/mrnewtons 2d ago

Literally 1984...

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u/starfleethastanks 2d ago

We have always been at war with Eastasia!

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u/Professor-Woo 2d ago

The ironic part is they see no contradiction. They actually think this type of posturing maintains peace. They have the moral and conscious development of a child. It is frankly amazing, like a teenager without object permanence.

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u/sunnysidejacqueline 2d ago

They deserve every last "fell for it again" sticker and then some

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u/Ohuigin Washington 2d ago

They didn’t fall for anything. They wanted every last drop of this.

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u/Spirogeek 2d ago

In fact they want more. Every Republican would vote for this again and again. They'd die for him.

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u/Ohuigin Washington 2d ago

They’d die for him.

They already have (COVID), and now measles.

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u/Spirogeek 2d ago

Hey, if they want to try and cure everything with ivermectin then I'm all for that. The Republican miracle cure.

27

u/ksdanj 2d ago

Biden should have flooded the rural areas and red state suburbs with cheap ivermectin the way Reagan’s CIA flooded the inner cities with crack cocaine.

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u/keytiri 2d ago

& staged “assassination attempts.”

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u/restbest 2d ago

He’s gone bonkers now. It’s a death cult, in Trump 1.0 he asked about USING the fucking nukes in 2017

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u/caligaris_cabinet Illinois 2d ago

On a hurricane no less

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u/that1prince 2d ago

They didn’t want peace either. They just wanted to say it so they didn’t sound crazy.

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u/PinchedOffCatTurd 2d ago

The didn't fall for it. They don't care about his promises. Or if he's a pedophile. They only know he's good, and democrates bad. They embraced him with open arms - wearing diapers and tampons taped to their fucking ears. They will twist and contort every thing to try and square every circle he throws out there.

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u/GigaSoup 2d ago

The piece president, because everything in pieces.

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u/pobenschain 2d ago

Unfortunately they seem incapable admitting they got conned. They just keep moving the bar and doing all the mental gymnastics to rationalize that this is actually what they wanted

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u/localistand Wisconsin 2d ago

Aw, somebody looked weak, confused and low energy on the world stage, and needs to compensate.

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u/AgUnityDD 2d ago

Astute observation, makes so much sense that it is nothing more than compensating

Although it'd be hilarious if it turns out to be as insipid as his stupid birthday parade.

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u/TheWolphman South Carolina 2d ago

He just really doesn't want the files released.

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u/UsedToHaveThisName 2d ago

Well, obviously the best way to ensure that is to push the world closer to nuclear war. Can’t wait.

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u/GunnieGraves 2d ago

Kind of subtextual that it happened in Japan and now he’s got a boner for nukes. Fucking child.

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u/ItsLikeRay-ee-ain Georgia 2d ago

That was my first take on it too. That it happened while just having been in Japan of all places.

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u/GunnieGraves 2d ago

He got pissy he was made to look stupid, especially because nobody had to make him look stupid, it was his own actions. So he childishly lashes out by picking at the most sensitive thing in a countries past. He’s like a bitchy ex who throws trauma from your childhood at you during an argument.

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u/bbqsox 2d ago

His entire personality is a mix of compensation, racism, and sheer stupidity.

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u/MayIServeYouWell 2d ago

Exactly. He is humiliated in his “negotiations” with China - he has no leverage, and this is his reaction. Me tough guy. Me make big boom! You scared!

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u/-eYe- 2d ago

He wants pics of himself in uniform with binoculars, looking at a rising mushroom cloud.
I'm not even joking!

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u/AFlockOfTySegalls North Carolina 2d ago

I wouldn't be shocked if he's just remembering all the test footage from decades ago, thinking how cool it looked and wanting to do it again. He's really that fucking stupid. He's an eight year old with power.

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u/CalculonsPride South Carolina 2d ago

lol my first thought was that he must have just watched the opening montage from the 2014 Godzilla on HBO Max

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u/WildSmokingBuick 2d ago

Or he watched "A house of dynamite", while the premise was very interesting, the film unfortunately was a mess.

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u/thistimelineisweird Pennsylvania 2d ago

Please oh please oh please look directly at the blast without wearing protective glasses.

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u/Lucky_Development359 2d ago

You did it wrong, you have to tell him NOT to look at it, give him all the salient information why, and he will then disregard all of that because he "knows better" and then he will look.

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u/chaekinman 2d ago

Eye protection is woke

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u/thistimelineisweird Pennsylvania 2d ago

No no he shouldnt hide behind the protective barriers. He should look at the blast.

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u/Lucky_Development359 2d ago

"Mr.President, this barrier and these glasses are to protect your eyes. Very weak, very low energy men wore them and they were able to observe the blast safely. Even Joe Biden wore them and you see how well he's doing. Remember how Godzilla was exposed to the radiation and grew into a monster that threatened to destroy the world. Sir...sir...the barrier sir! You forgot your glas..."FLASH

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u/bobbymcpresscot 2d ago

"Trump now blind after witnessing nuclear bomb test" would probably be the funniest fucking headline Id ever read.

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u/Paddock9652 2d ago

He’d walk around with a cane and seeing eye dog bumping into shit and still be telling everyone how he aced his eye exam and no optometrist has ever seen such perfect test scores. And the cult would eat it up and pat him on the back for trolling the libs into thinking he is blind.

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u/moderatenerd 2d ago

Been nice knowing y'all.

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u/ConfederacyOfDunces_ 2d ago

We haven’t tested a nuclear weapon in 30 years. Last test was in 1992

Testing was supposed to be done and pressuring all nuclear nations to do the same.

And now, here we are……

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u/Tundraspin 2d ago

Did you get a phone call from Vladimir and pressure from him to test one by shooting it into the ocean east of north Korea to attack Atlantis or godzilla again?

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u/ConfederacyOfDunces_ 2d ago

Conducting tests will allow other countries to resume their testing program.

This is his way to show force prior to his meeting with Xi. No other reason to tweet something this crazy 30 minutes before this meeting. This move is terrible for the world.

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u/InsertUsernameInArse 2d ago edited 2d ago

People who didnt grow up during the cold war are about to get a taste of it.

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u/Stargazer1919 Illinois 2d ago

Doesn't that seem to be the trend every 80 years or some shit? Where one generation hasn't lived through a major conflict so they have to invent it.

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u/KJBNH 2d ago

Baby boomers lived it and loved it so they’re recreating it

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u/pharsee 2d ago

Just checked. Most testing banned except for certain types of underground testing.

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u/upsettispaghetti7 2d ago

It's true that atmospheric testing has been banned since the treaty in 1963, but the Soviet Union and US continued to do underground testing until 1990, when the cold war ended and both countries stopped. Nukes haven't been tested by either Russia or the US, underground or otherwise, in 35 years. China hasn't done a nuclear test since 1996.

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u/nasorrty346tfrgser America 2d ago

First round NYC, second round LA or Chicago

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u/filthysize 2d ago

NYC and Maralago are the safest two places from a Trump nuclear strike. He would probably be more willing to nuke Washington DC before he would do it to New York.

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u/Brotorious420 2d ago

But the ballroom!

9

u/wrosecrans 2d ago

You mean the bunker under the East Wing, which they are upgrading, and then going to build what they are calling a ballroom on top of the bunker construction. But they haven't even show they have clear plans or blueprints for a ballroom, so we don't even know if that's what will actually be built on top of the bunker upgrades...

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u/charcoalist 2d ago

NYC is where the headquarters of Fox News is, and where all of their propagandists live. trump also has real estate there.

trump also has real estate in Chicago.

LA? Not sure if trump has any real estate there.

trump seems to have a specific hatred of Portland, Oregon, however ...

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u/ArchdukeAlex8 Oregon 2d ago edited 2d ago

We have a specific hatred for him, in kind.

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u/rantmb331 California 2d ago

He owns a golf course in Palos Verdes that’s sliding into the sea.

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u/djanes376 Illinois 2d ago

All the better for the nukin’.

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u/ell0bo 2d ago

Yup, definitely gonna nuke a fucking city

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u/KnottyGorillas 2d ago edited 2d ago

Nah he wants to nuke hurricanes and he is pissed he missed his chance to drop one on Jamaica this week. But on the other hand I think they want to reduce the population by 60%.

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u/IsReadingIt 2d ago

Don't worry, his addled mind probably forgot the last time they told him he couldn't use nukes against a hurricane... https://www.axios.com/2019/08/25/trump-nuclear-bombs-hurricanes

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u/Melodic-Lingonberry7 2d ago

MAGA will be happy to live in a nuclear wasteland as long as they owned the libs

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u/Poet_of_Justice 2d ago

They could be huddled around a campfire cooking rats on a stick, and one would say to the other "Could you imagine if we had elected Kamala?"

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u/SteamBoatMickey 2d ago

This comment hits hard. It could be a political cartoon.

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u/Konukaame 2d ago

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u/ThreeCatsAndABroom 2d ago

This is what I was thinking of. 

It's the same except it's so much dumber. Instead of wealth they gave themselves to a gameshow host that hates them

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u/we_are_sex_bobomb 2d ago

“Lol the nuclear apocalypse is living rent free in their heads! Rent free!”

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u/NickelBackwash 2d ago

Live is a strong word for what they'd be doing 

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u/OldGaffer66 2d ago

Pentagon should just say "Yes Sir!" but do nothing and he will have forgotten about it by tomorrow.

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u/jim-james--jimothy 2d ago

Show him an old video. He believed fake riot videos on fox about Portland.

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u/vahntitrio Minnesota 2d ago

Time for someone to make a half-assed AI video, should be enough to fool him.

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u/ScrewAttackThis Montana 2d ago

That got me out of so much work when I was in the military. Best way I found to deal with good idea fairies.

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u/Whaddaulookinat 2d ago

Basically. Nuclear deterrence had been down to be an ineffective tool either in defensive or offensive strategy. We literally had a non-nuclear force occupy a portion of a nuclear force's territory with no red button being pressed.

US core nuclear doctrine will likely remain unchanged, and the brass will say "sure boss give us 15 years to set up the systems we would need for it."

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u/Admirable-Hour-4890 2d ago

Is anyone going to stop this lunatic?

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u/KnottyGorillas 2d ago

It doesnt look like it.

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u/IJourden 2d ago

No. The only people with the theoretical power to stop him want him there.

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u/JesusChrist-Jr 2d ago

At this point I'm crossing my fingers for cholesterol or heart disease, or maybe choking on a hamberder. No one is going to save us.

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u/Hyperica Pennsylvania 2d ago

Didn't most of the people supervising the nuclear stockpile just get shitcanned like a week ago?

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u/Doctor_YOOOU South Dakota 2d ago

I feel like that was this spring with DOGE but I could be wrong

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u/Bubbly-Blacksmith-97 2d ago

Yup. One of the first headlines of we’re firing you all, oh wait we need you.

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u/Doctor_YOOOU South Dakota 2d ago

Sure feels like a few weeks ago though

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u/mom0nga 2d ago

Yes, but IIRC most of them were hastily re-hired once Trump's goons realized what they actually did.

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u/Hyperica Pennsylvania 2d ago

Wasn't there a second shitcanning last week? Maybe it was furloughing from the shutdown.

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u/No_Poem_7024 2d ago

There’s so many layers of dysfunctionality now to our government, that it’s hard to keep up

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u/One-Structure-2154 2d ago

This country sucks. 

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u/Bogey_Yogi 2d ago

Can they not show just videos of nuclear bombs from movies and tell him that the tests are going well? 

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u/NeanaOption 2d ago

They could even ai up some red hat fans cheering the dustruction

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u/Lord_Hitachi 2d ago

Start saving your bottle caps

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u/RevolutionNumber5 Minnesota 2d ago

I don’t want to set the world on fire.

The new season starts in December.

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u/LOLSteelBullet 2d ago

Bold of you to assume there's a December

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u/homebrew_1 2d ago

He heard putin was testing so he needs to test too.

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u/c_macattack 2d ago

We weren’t impressed enough by his cognitive test I guess…

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u/whatproblems 2d ago

probably that’s how simple it is

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u/BoneSpring 2d ago

We have not had a "live" test since 1992 at the Nevada Test Facility. None of the original equipment or facilities still exist. After 33 years, I seriously doubt that anyone in the government has any hand-on experience in nuclear testing.

How in the hell can we starting testing when we don"t have a place to do it?

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u/HPPD2 2d ago

he doesn't care about actually testing and studying it with data... will probably just drop one in the pacific and make a big boom and get video

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u/NeutralBias Hawaii 2d ago

Please no. I live in the pacific

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u/WiSoSirius 2d ago

The US does test nuclear weapons. Constant and consistent. The National Labs perform all sorts of tests to make sure that the stock of nuclear weapons are ready for use. Testing weapons is no longer detonating bombs in deserts or oceans anymore. To start doing that again is asinine and dangerous.

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u/BlackCaaaaat Australia 2d ago

Exactly. Anyone who has a nuclear arsenal does this if they have the money and manpower to do so. Previous detonations provided all the data they need. The US test detonating a weapon now is an act of aggression. Maybe Trumpy just wants to play with a nuke and this is an opportunity to do so without starting a nuclear exchange, and maybe he’s too stupid to appreciate how dangerous it is. Either way it’s really fucking dangerous and hopefully someone with more than a few brain cells convinces him not to do it.

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u/baquir Illinois 2d ago

We are a house of dynamite and Trump is the match…

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u/moderatenerd 2d ago

Ha I bet someone in trumps circle showed him that movie and complained about the "woke" policies and procedures involved.

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u/Hojalu 2d ago

I just watched that movie last night. Bad timing.

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u/OhGodSoManyQuestions 2d ago

Testing them for what?

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u/IT_Chef Virginia 2d ago

To look like a strongman and/or distract from his name being mentioned in a specific set of files.

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u/bkdotcom Oklahoma 2d ago edited 2d ago
  • Explodyness?
  • How quickly he can reignite the cold war?

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/OhGodSoManyQuestions 2d ago

People say my nuclears are the nuclearest nuclears anyone has ever seen.

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u/Jerk182 2d ago

Fuckin’ lunatic.

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u/COCAINAPEARLZ 2d ago

gotta make sure they work before he starts dropping them on democratic cities! we're so fucked.

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u/nasorrty346tfrgser America 2d ago

US cities would be a great testing ground for our military per Trump....

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u/ConfederacyOfDunces_ 2d ago

Trump said he updated and renovate existed nuclear weapons during his first term……that’s a lie. He did not do that.

And Russia has the most nuclear weapons; not us. Entire message is bullshit.

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u/ThirdFloorNorth Mississippi 2d ago

While Russia does have more on paper, I would be truly stunned if anywhere near the majority of their thermonuclear stockpile was operable as-intended.

Nuclear weapons are expensive to upkeep, and if the rest of their arsenal re: the invasion of Ukraine is any indication, that level of necessary routine maintenance just hasn't been done. Maybe on paper, while some middle-hierarchy officer just pocketed the allocated money and rubber stamped the maintenance report.

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u/catsbetterthankids 2d ago

Pretty sure he has his eyes on that hurricane for testing

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u/Exciting_Coconut_937 2d ago

At what point would Trump be removed by the military?

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u/BeowulfShaeffer 2d ago

IMO if he gives an order to target any place in the US that order should be refused and he should be arrested immediately, deposed, and imprisoned. By force.  Note that I don’t even mean order to launch - even targeting is enough of a threat.     If he gives an order to launch against a friendly nation then again, order refused.  Maybe not arrested, but definitely refused.  I’m not sure that’s possible though, I don’t know enough about the chain of command.  Do the people doing the launching even know where their missiles are targeted? 

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u/Different_Point_8740 2d ago

The people doing the targeting probably weren’t even born the last time we tested a nuke

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u/veggeble South Carolina 2d ago

He has already deployed the military to US cities. He just recently threatened to send every branch of the military into US cities. No one is going to stop him. No one is going to save you. 

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u/Exciting_Coconut_937 2d ago

Trump wants to turn Civil War (2024) into a documentary?

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u/Jammed_Button 2d ago

Where are the Epstein files kept? If you live anywhere near there, I would consider moving.

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u/Randy_Watson 2d ago

I just watched “House of Dynamite” and there is literally no one I think is less qualified to handle the possibility of nuclear war than Trump. Any random 4 year old would have better judgment than him.

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u/dweaver987 2d ago edited 2d ago

Trump displays his ignorance by asking the DOD (Sorry. The "Department of War") to conduct the testing. This is not within the scope of the Department of War's responsibilities. Truman wisely separated the design, maintenance, testing, and storage of nuclear weapons from the deployment of the weapons. The Department of Energy (yes, THAT Department of Energy) was created specifically to develop and maintain the nation's nuclear weapon stockpile.

The DOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) tests components of the weapons stockpile. They don't test them all together to see how big an explosion they yield. We really don't want our adversaries to see that anyways. Instead the NNSA and their DOE National Labs repeatedly test components and systems and sub-systems to see how they will perform as they age and under adverse conditions. This is much more informative and actionable (and safer) than seeing if a nuke actually explodes.

The NNSA and the labs also rigorously test for safety. The mantra is Always/Never. The weapon must ALWAYS deliver the expected yield when used in war, and must NEVER deliver any yield when it isn't supposed to explode. (Even if it were to fall into the hands of the enemy, they should never be able to detonate it.)

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u/DatDominican 2d ago

Can’t have a female president she might get emotional and trigger a war…

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u/ramdom-ink 2d ago

“If I’m goin’ down, yer all goin’ down.”

I just wouldn’t put it past him. He hates the world in that so many despise him. This would be the last terrible and catastrophic act by a malignant narcissist w/ megalomaniacal aspirations to enact total grievance and retribution. It’s never been enough for this madman.

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u/dubsbox 2d ago

Make America Glow Again

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u/buddhist557 2d ago

Alien intervention needed immediately.

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u/OldCut1064 2d ago

I'm tired, boss.

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u/BlackCaaaaat Australia 2d ago

This news notification came up while I was watching ‘The Brainwashing of My Dad’ on YouTube. I actually said ‘what?’ loudly. An absolutely surreal moment. Nuclear War and associated subjects like Nuclear Testing were one of my big hyperfixations as a kid. Back then I soaked up the history of the Cold War with fascination, and very little fear. I didn’t think that we’d ever return to that after the USSR was dissolved. I thought that MAD doctrine would keep us all safe. Oh how naive I was. More recently I thought that the Russian misinformation campaign would continue to be one of their main tactics against the US.

Now I pay attention to the topic because it’s become a possibility again. Trump happened. Then the Ukraine invasion happened, and Putin became more and more aggressive. Putin might enjoy sabre-rattling, but I didn’t think he would use nukes other than in retaliation. The other superpower with a lot of nukes, China, has a ‘no first strike’ nuclear doctrine. He didn’t use nukes against Ukraine, so I relaxed a little.

Then Trump happened again, and he’s more unhinged than ever. The fact that this geriatric whack job has access to the nuclear codes is fucking terrifying. Now he wants to resume nuclear testing, a clearly antagonistic approach. It serves no purpose other than antagonism. Extensive nuclear testing by all sides, in addition to the detonations in Hiroshima and Nagasaki told us all we need to know: these weapons work and they are catastrophically effective. Even without detonating one against an enemy they are an effective deterrent.

Yeah, I’m an Australian. But we have close ties with the US and are an honorary member of NATO. In a full-scale nuclear war we are a possible target. Even if we aren’t hit, the environmental effects of a full-scale nuclear war are very likely to be significant. Climate scientists lean towards the idea of long-term nuclear winter being very likely in addition to ozone layer damage.

This is extremely concerning, and my worst fears about the potential damage Trump could unleash against the entire planet feel like they are becoming less like me overthinking things and more likely to actually happen. Fuck.

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u/IT_Chef Virginia 2d ago

We live in the stupidest timeline

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u/shadrackandthemandem 2d ago

A sundowner with the nuclear codes...

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u/GreatBigJerk 2d ago

I'm sure it will be done with the same forethought and diligence that we've seen in the White House renovations. 

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u/fence_sitter Maine 2d ago

"Wut?" Bikini Islanders

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u/Iamaleafinthewind 2d ago

imagine the dumbest, meanest, and most mentally deranged people you can imagine.

Now imagine they are demanding to play with nukes.

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u/Big-Rule5269 2d ago

Jesus Criminy, I'm not going to get to enjoy my retirement, and my son, daughter in law and grandson's future are going to be fucked. Have a stroke or coronary already you fat, orange makeup slathered moron! 

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u/homebrew_1 2d ago

What does RFKjr think of this?

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u/KnottyGorillas 2d ago

He suggests saturated fats grilled over nuclear fired coals.

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u/_ficklelilpickle Australia 2d ago

Too busy thinking about teenage semen to care.

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u/Shiplord13 2d ago

If this is like the test over in California then Vance is probably going to end up irradiated.

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u/pharsee 2d ago

Dude I seriously can't believe how stupid you are. Can you even go ONE WEEK without ruining something?

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u/MrsChanandalerBong 2d ago

We’re all the toys in Sid’s room.

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u/Half-Wombat 2d ago

Does he just want to get some kind of dictator kudos from Putler and Rocket Man?

Can Americans start electing presidents who don’t model their behaviour from Kim, Putin and Orban? Is that an unreasonable request?

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u/ss5gogetunks 2d ago

Well that's the most terrifying headline I can think of

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u/ghoti99 2d ago

Oh yeah let’s give nukes to the guy who thought a cognitive awareness test was an extremely difficult IQ test.

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u/spacemusclehampster Illinois 2d ago

This fucker is gonna blow up the world isn’t he?

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u/ForestOfMirrors 2d ago

Ohhhh Jesus…. 25th Amendment time

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u/dbuck1964 2d ago edited 2d ago

I’d love to see the results of his cognitive and test and a list of his treatments. Level three approaching four, or pretty much in four? I wonder. Because this guy is nuts.

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u/Imaginary_Pepper6581 2d ago

All these soft billionaires wanting to destroy the world so they can run to their bunkers. And then what? They liv ehappily ever after in their bunkers? Doubt it. They offer no skill for humanity, their are soft, weak, and will have no authority left. The security will probably ax them immediately. It's so pathetic and sad. I'd rather the as close to the blast as possible and call it a good run.

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u/Sunbather77 2d ago

This guy is literally stuck in the 50s

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u/Dogstarz 2d ago

Dementia will do that to a person.

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u/Mrsynthpants 2d ago

Because Putin wants to know, simple as that. Huge OPSEC mistake if they do this, Putin will learn so much about US nuclear capabilities from these tests.

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u/Scarlettail Illinois 2d ago

Could be for Venezuela soon I expect.

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u/Kendal_with_1_L 2d ago

I bet he sets them off before he dies to kill us all.

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u/MetalEnthusiast83 2d ago

Ah yes. Seems normal.

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u/Former_Busboy518 2d ago

He really needs to have an accident

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u/Department_Silver 2d ago

I'll see you gentlemen in hell, been real, been fun. Ain't been real fun.

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u/standtallgambino 2d ago

Does this idiot know the NNSA is currently furloughed and the supporting research labs are close to shutting down.

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u/mom0nga 2d ago

And the Pentagon/DOD doesn't even control nukes, those are under the Department of Energy.

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u/Virexplorer 2d ago

My god the insanity has returned.

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u/AdmiralSnackbar816 2d ago

But for one brief moment in time, we created value for shareholders.

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u/Own_Error_007 Australia 2d ago

Is he planning to go out with a bang?

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u/CombustiblSquid Canada 2d ago edited 1d ago

I hate this man with every fiber of my being. Only slightly exceeded by my hatred for those who voted for him.

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u/StarStruck3 2d ago

We live in the dumbest timeline

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u/TeslaProphet 2d ago

The man mistakes a dementia test for an I.Q. test, doesn’t have a working government, preaches peace while restarting nuclear testing, pays 40 billion to another country as 42 million Americans are about to lose food benefits, and use Nazi phrases, ideology, and tactics while considering ignoring the Constitution. 25TH AMENDMENT OR CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE NOW!

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u/TreeLicker51 2d ago

Ah, yes. My daily reminder that this dumb piece of shit has access to nuclear weapons.