ATLANTA — A Georgia Tech professor is warning that a new push from President Donald Trump to resume nuclear weapons testing could have far-reaching global consequences.
Trump announced on social media that he wants the United States to restart full-scale nuclear tests, something that hasn’t been done in more than three decades. The U.S. has continued to conduct subcritical tests, which examine a weapon’s mechanical and delivery systems without triggering a nuclear explosion.
Georgia Tech professor and nuclear energy expert Dr. Anna Erickson says the move could set off a dangerous chain reaction among other nations.
“There is a fear, of course, that if the U.S. resumes nuclear tests, it will be even harder to argue that countries like North Korea or Iran should show restraint,” Erickson said.
She adds that such a decision could complicate diplomatic relations with other nuclear powers. “They’re actually against resuming tests, and Russia specifically stressed that it has not conducted explosive nuclear testing since the Soviet era,” Erickson said.
The United States last conducted a full-scale nuclear test in 1992.
WSB’s Mary Ryan Howarth contributed to this story