This makes clear just how dangerous and extreme the current Administration is. 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

US has no need to test nuclear weapons. Lab directors have certified we know more about our weapons now than when we used to test them.

1/

We spend billions per year on science based stockpile stewardship so that we don't have to test weapons. Our surveillance process can detect any flaws or concerns. We also deploy a variety of weapons so no one flaw will undermine our broader defense. 2/

The argument put forward by this Admin in their nuclear posture review in 2018 and apparently in this NSC meeting is that the US can show how serious and strong it is by testing a nuclear weapon quickly. Doing so would not show strength, but desperation. 3/

Testing would not provide "leverage" over China and Russia and if anything would undermine the effort to get them to fully implement a test ban - one that would lock in the US advantage in test knowledge. We tested over 1000 times. Russia about 700. China 47. 4/

Also, US had advanced computers and diagnostics, who our modeling and data was better from our tests. Breaking the seal on renewed testing would make US an outlier and either green light Russia and China to catch up or for them to undermine US global position even further. 5/

This is the latest example of retrograde, cold war thinking by this Admin and the nuclear experts they use. This week arms control special envoy @USArmsControl said we would arms race spend Russia and China into oblivion while pulling out of Open Skies Treaty. 6/

All while delaying again on extension of the New START treaty - the last agreement governing the nuclear competition between US and Russia. In the next 6 months, Trump could ignite a full blown arms race or worse, an actual nuclear conflict. 7/

But sure, let's give away our knowledge advantage on testing, make Russia and China look like the good guys, blow up a part of the US, spend trillions on nuclear weapons better spent on recovery. That is what Trump and team have brought to the table.