President Donald Trump declared on Truth Social on Wednesday night the United States possesses “more nuclear weapons than any other country,” asserting the nation’s arsenal surpassed both Russia and China.
He said the superiority came from a “complete update and renovation” of existing warheads during his first term in office.
In his post, Trump said he “hated” undertaking the modernization effort “because of the tremendous destructive power,” but insisted he “had no choice.”
He went on to rank Russia as “second” and China a “distant third,” warning Beijing is on pace to achieve nuclear parity “within five years.”
Citing what he called “other countries’ testing programs,” Trump claimed he had “instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.”
He concluded by saying, “That process will begin immediately,” signing off as “PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP,” in a post that quickly drew widespread attention and speculation.
While Department of War has issued no such directive, Trump’s comments come amid rising global anxiety over a new nuclear arms race.
His post echoes Cold War-era rhetoric and comes just weeks after reports Russia conducted a series of nuclear-capable weapons tests, including a hypersonic missile launch and a new submarine-based nuclear device trial.
According to Russian state media, Moscow recently carried out a successful test of its “Zircon” hypersonic missile, a weapon capable of traveling at speeds exceeding Mach 9 and carrying either conventional or nuclear warheads.
Western intelligence analysts believe the test, conducted from a naval vessel in the Barents Sea, was designed to demonstrate Russia’s ability to bypass existing missile defense systems.
The Kremlin also confirmed testing of the “Poseidon” nuclear-powered underwater drone, a massive torpedo designed to deliver a multi-megaton warhead from thousands of miles away. Russia claims the weapon could generate radioactive tsunamis capable of devastating coastal cities — a development Pentagon analysts have described as “strategically destabilizing.”
Trump’s warning about China’s growing arsenal mirrors assessments by U.S. defense officials. The Pentagon’s 2024 China Military Power Report estimated that Beijing now possesses more than 500 operational nuclear warheads — double the number it had just four years ago — and is constructing hundreds of new missile silos across its western deserts.
China’s expansion, the report said, is aimed at achieving a “credible nuclear deterrent” capable of surviving a first strike and responding globally.
Intelligence analysts say that trajectory could bring China’s stockpile closer to U.S. and Russian levels by the early 2030s if current trends continue.
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