The New Trump Administration on Nuclear Weapons February 25, 2025

Since January 20th, when President Trump entered the White House it’s been unclear how exactly this administration would approach nuclear weapons and how this second term could impact our nation’s nuclear weapons, and prospects for disarmament. Over the past month, Trump has indicated a range of possible policies on American nuclear weapons. Most notably Trump said he would “restart nuclear arms control talks with Russia and China and that eventually he hopes all three countries could agree to cut their massive defense budgets in half.” In Davos, Switzerland he expressed concern over the amount of money spent on nuclear weapons. This comes just as the Department on Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut, then repealed said cuts, to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) which could be said to have destabilizing effects on our current nuclear weapons’ security, and the management of nuclear waste at sites like Savannah River or Oak Ridge. These statements giving vague, yet potentially positive, support for cuts to nuclear weapons spending and industries could be a step forward for nuclear disarmament or better arms control, however, much is still unknown as we see how words translate into action to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons in this administration.