Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used his Fox News appearance to remind Americans that nuclear weapons policy is not an abstract academic debate — it is about deterrence and the safety of our families. In the interview Pompeo referenced that adversaries “haven’t conducted a nuclear test in an awfully long time,” a phrase he used in context of North Korea’s past testing record while warning that complacency invites danger.
Make no mistake: Washington’s decades of self-delusion about unilateral disarmament did not magically make the world safer. The United States has not conducted an explosive nuclear test since 1992 and has relied on scientific Stockpile Stewardship to maintain deterrence, but stewardship is not the same thing as demonstrating capability when rivals push the envelope.
That technical debate has become political because the White House and national security leaders have signaled a willingness to consider resuming testing if adversaries force our hand. Reports this year show the administration openly debating a return to testing as part of a broader push to restore unquestioned U.S. military strength and negotiating leverage with China and Russia.
This is realpolitik, and conservatives should stop apologizing for it. Moscow and Beijing are fielding exotic delivery systems and new nuclear-capable platforms, and Russia in particular has tested novel nuclear-powered weapons systems that change the calculus for deterrence and verification. We cannot permit strategic surprise because coastal elites prefer moralizing treaties over hard power.
For patriotic Americans the choice is simple: either we accept a weaker America that talks about leadership while others remold the balance, or we rebuild the muscle of deterrence so our diplomacy speaks from strength. Critics will scream about treaties and optics, but strength backed by a credible deterrent has kept the peace for generations — and it will keep our children safe if we refuse to be naïve.
Practical objections to a sudden return to testing are fair and must be addressed honestly — rebuilding facilities, diagnostic systems, and safety protocols would take time and money, and experts warn that any restart would be neither instant nor cost-free. That reality means responsible leaders should prepare now: fund the labs, secure the range, and make clear to rivals that cheating will carry consequences while we exhaust all options to avoid an arms race.
Mike Pompeo’s warning should be a wake-up call for conservatives and all Americans who love this country. We must push Congress to stop treating national defense as a political football, strengthen our arsenal’s credibility, and stop letting bureaucrats and foreign appeasers decide whether America looks brave enough to defend its own soil. Patriots expect results, and it’s time Washington delivered them.
