Pete Hegseth Claims It’s ‘Very Responsible’ For the US To Resume Nuclear Testing

Pete Hegseth Claims It’s ‘Very Responsible’ For the US To Resume Nuclear Testing

Jennifer Bowers Bahney Oct 31st, 2025, 4:03 pm

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed Friday that it was “very responsible” for the United States to resume nuclear testing as President Donald Trump has ordered.

Hegseth took reporters’ questions in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, after meeting with the secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

One reporter asked, “On nuclear testing, what type of testing is the Defense Department tasked with and how soon?”

“Well, we would work with the Department of Energy,” Hegseth said. “But the president has been clear; we need to have a credible nuclear deterrent. That is the baseline. And so, having understanding and resuming testing is a prett