SCOOP: In a meeting last week, the Trump administration discussed conducting the first U.S. nuclear test explosion since 1992 in a move that would have far-reaching consequences and reverse a decades-long moratorium. 1/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-administration-discussed-conducting-first-us-nuclear-test-in-decades/2020/05/22/a805c904-9c5b-11ea-b60c-3be060a4f8e1_story.html

A senior official said if the US demonstrated to Moscow and Beijing that it can “rapid test,” it could prove useful in negotiations as Washington seeks a new trilateral deal with the two nuclear powers. 2/

The meeting did not conclude with an agreement to conduct a test but a senior administration official said the proposal is “very much an ongoing conversation.” 3/

During the meeting, serious disagreements emerged over the proposal, in particular from the National Nuclear Security Administration, per sources. 4/

Non-proliferation advocates have concerns. “It would be an invitation for other nuclear-armed countries to follow suit. It would be the starting gun to an unprecedented nuclear arms race," said @DarylGKimball 5/

The main purpose of nuclear tests is to check the reliability of an existing arsenal or try out new weapon designs. The Trump admin says it isn’t pursuing new nuclear weapons but reserves the right to do so if the two countries refuse to negotiate. My latest with @PaulSonne 6/