President Vladimir Putin said Russia has no plans to violate existing agreements on nuclear testing, but signaled that he’s ready to order them if Donald Trump moves forward with threatened US atomic weapons trials. https://t.co/uqcWYfNnbS ...

Nuclear Policy & International Relations - The U S president announced instructions to the Department of War to start nuclear weapons testing on an equal basis, process to begin immediately [1] - Announcement came unexpectedly, unclear what kind of nuclear tests or urgency [2] - Other nuclear superpowers like Russia and China haven't detonated live nuclear weapons since the 1990s, and the U S hasn't since 1992 (33 years ago) [3] - Resuming testing could trigger reciprocal testing and arms buildup from Russia, China, India, and Pakistan [18] - Russia has been threatening the use of nuclear weapons since 2022 when they invaded Ukraine [18] Nuclear Arsenal & Deterrence - The core purpose of a nuclear arsenal is deterrence, ensuring America's enemies consider the consequences before acting against the U S [7] - The vice president suggested America's nuclear weapons may not be functioning properly, later walking back the statement [8][9] - The U S relies on simulations and subcritical tests for its nuclear force [17] - Testing a nuclear weapon creates a message of doubting nuclear capability and showing swagger, which could set off a chain of events [25] Potential Risks & Motivations - A provocative new movie released on Netflix, "House of Dynamite," portrays a nightmare scenario where the U S is vulnerable to a nuclear attack [4][5] - An internal memo from the Pentagon argued against the doomsday scenario depicted in the movie [6] - Even an underground test would leak radioactive material, be extremely expensive, and allow adversaries to gather significant data [18]

National Security & Foreign Policy Concerns - The White House is driving foreign policy decisions regarding air strikes, potentially sidelining military leaders and raising concerns about a lack of transparency and oversight [2][13] - The President's statements on nuclear weapons testing raise concerns about potentially triggering a nuclear arms race and injecting uncertainty into nuclear strategy [4][5][6] - The United States possesses a significant nuclear arsenal, with 90% of the world's nukes held by the US and Russia, highlighting the gravity of nuclear-related statements and actions [8] - There are concerns about the President's actions regarding military deployments, specifically the repositioning of a large ship away from Europe, without providing adequate oversight to Congress [13] Congressional Oversight & Political Dynamics - Some members of Congress, including Republicans, have privately expressed concerns about the legality of certain military strikes, but are hesitant to voice these concerns publicly [16] - The President's actions are perceived as undermining Congress's constitutional authority to declare war and conduct oversight [17] - Democrats in Virginia are engaging in redistricting efforts in response to similar actions by Republicans in other states [18][19][20] Nuclear Weapons Policy & Testing - The current administration's approach to nuclear weapons testing is considered imprudent and potentially dangerous, as existing systems are regularly tested and modeled without the need for live fire tests [6][11] - The Vice President's justification for potential nuclear testing is viewed as an attempt to cover for the President's ill-considered statements [12]

Does Trump's nuclear testing raise the stakes - or are we already in an arms race? https://t.co/PVzhrCwICf ...

Nuclear Arms Control & International Relations - The US, Russia, and China have not engaged in underground nuclear testing since 1996, approaching 30 years [2] - The US has conducted over 1,000 underground nuclear tests, while China has only done 40 [2] - A US "golden dome" missile defense system costing $1 trillion to $2 trillion would provoke an offensive weapon response from Russia and China [3] - Extending the New Start treaty for one year beginning in February 2026 is crucial for maintaining nuclear arms control [5][6] - Failure to extend New Start could lead to an arms race with increased offensive and defensive weapon development by the US and its rivals [6] Domestic Policy & Government Shutdown - A government shutdown could cause 1 million people in Massachusetts to lose SNAP benefits [12] - $5 billion is available at the Department of Agriculture to address the food crisis resulting from the shutdown [12] - In Massachusetts, one-third of SNAP recipients are children, one-third are elderly, and one-third are disabled [13] - House Republicans are hindering negotiations by not being present in Washington [15]

Let's now bring in MSNBC National Affairs Island analyst and a partner and chief political columnist at Puck, John Hileman, as well as MSNBC senior national security reporter, David RH. And David, let's let's start right there uh with this sort of seemingly almost out of nowhere announcement from President Trump about uh the nuclear testing that he's ordered up. You know, seems as if in response to what Vladimir Putin had said earlier in the day.But the United States, as we've been noting, has not done this ...

Geopolitical Strategy & Nuclear Policy - US President Trump announced the potential resumption of nuclear weapons testing, aiming for parity with Russia and China [1] - The US last conducted a nuclear weapons test in 1992 [1] - Russia is actively developing and announcing new strategic weapons, including those causing tsunamis, signaling intimidation tactics [1] - China is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, drawing lessons from the Ukraine crisis regarding nuclear deterrence [1][2] - The current US-Russia New START agreement is expiring soon, necessitating significant arms control negotiations [2] Potential Motivations & Objectives - The announcement could be aimed at prompting Russia into serious nuclear arms control talks [2] - Trump may seek to engage China and Russia in discussions about nuclear weapons limitations [1] - The US might reposition its nuclear submarines in response to perceived threats from Russia [1] Technical & Logistical Considerations - Resuming testing on an "equal basis" might involve testing delivery systems rather than warheads [1] - Conducting a nuclear test would require a considerable amount of time for the US [1]