Following interview, DOE Secretary Wright backtracked Trump’s statements on nuclear testing

Washington (November 3, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), founder of the national Nuclear Freeze Movement, spoke on Sunday, November 2, with Martha Raddatz of ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopolous” about Trump’s misleading call for the United States to resume nuclear weapons testing. Soon after, Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright backtracked the President’s statement saying the tests Trump was speaking of were “system tests” and “noncritical explosions,” not nuclear explosions. Yet, also on Sunday, on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Trump repeated that “we’re going to test nuclear weapons like other countries do.”

Below is an excerpt of Senator Markey’s remarks:

MARTHA RADDATZ:

“It's good to see you this morning, Senator Markey. The president was quite clear midweek that he wants to resume nuclear testing and to keep up with those who are doing it. The U.S. hasn't had a test since '92. North Korea was the last to test a nuclear weapon in 2017.

What do you think he's talking about, and what will happen?”

SEN. ED MARKEY (D-MA):

“Well, first, he's wrong. Other countries are not engaging in nuclear testing. The Russians, the Chinese, they have not tested since at least 1996, when the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty was put into effect. And it would be a gift to China, it would be a gift to Russia. The Chinese have only tested 45 times. We've tested more than a thousand times. So it would give them an ability to catch up to us with the sophistication of their nuclear weapons technology.

“What I think he's responding to is the announcement by Putin that they are testing missile delivery systems for nuclear bombs. That's a different subject altogether. And the reason that Russia, the reason that China is developing new missile delivery systems is that the United States pulled out of the anti-ballistic missile [treaty]. It is because Donald Trump has announced that he is going to deploy a “Golden Dome” over our country.

“Thousands of satellites with interceptors on them to knock down incoming Russian or Chinese missiles, with nuclear bombs on them. And that has led those countries to develop more and more sophisticated nuclear missiles to circumvent that boondoggle, which will be the Golden Dome, which our own experts say will not work. It will be a ‘golden sieve,’ which will allow ultimately for enough nuclear weapons to penetrate it to destroy cities across our country and kill at least 100 million people.

“So Donald Trump and Trumpatomics is going to make our country less safe...and the only way to avoid it is to go to a negotiating table, for Donald Trump to accept the invitation from Putin, to extend the New START Treaty which expires in 100 days, and to then put all of these other weapons systems, offensive and defensive, on the table for negotiations. And that's the only way we're going to make our country and the world safer.”

As a founder of the national Nuclear Freeze movement, Senator Markey has worked to end the proliferation of nuclear weapons since the beginning of his career.

• In 1986, then-Representative Markey co-authored an amendment that passed in the House of Representatives to establish a moratorium on all nuclear tests in excess of one kiloton, provided the Soviet Union observed similar limits. This provision laid a vital foundation for the subsequent moratorium on all U.S. nuclear tests and for the negotiation of the CTBT.
• In May 2020, in response to fears of a return to nuclear testing, Senator Markey sent a letter to President Donald Trump arguing there was no justification to restart nuclear testing.

Senator Markey has long been a champion pushing for deep and verifiable reductions in nuclear arsenals.

• Last week, Senator Markey published an op-ed detailing the accuracy with which director Kathryn Bigelow’s new film, “A House of Dynamite,” presents the dangers of nuclear war and the risks of depending on unreliable missile defenses at the expense of a nuclear security policy centered on arms reduction and non-proliferation.
• Last week, Senator Markey introduced the No Nuclear Testing Act which would use Congress’s power of the purse to deny the Trump administration from restarting nuclear testing.
• In July, Senator Markey introduced the Senate companion to H.Res.317, urging the United States to lead the world in halting the nuclear arms race.
• In February, Senator Markey introduced a resolution to recommit the United States to arms control, one year ahead of the expiration of New START.
• In January, Senator Markey reintroduced a bill with Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) to ensure that no president can start a nuclear war without congressional approval.

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