Trump honors nuke test date

Trinity event in New Mexican desert occurred 75 years ago

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump issued a message on the 75th anniversary of the Trinity nuclear test in the New Mexican desert, praising the experiment as a “remarkable feat of engineering and scientific ingenuity” that “helped end World War II and launch an unprecedented era of global stability, scientific innovation and economic prosperity.”

While the United States has observed a moratorium on nuclear testing since 1992, Trump’s message also noted that he directed his administration “to revitalize and modernize

America’s nuclear security complex.”

The statement got the attention of Nevada lawmakers acutely aware of a May story in The Washington Post that reported administration officials discussed resuming nuclear tests to prod Moscow and Beijing to come to the table on an arms control agreement.

Rep. Dina Titus, D-nev., and Sen. Ed Markey, D-mass., responded to the story with legislation to prohibit a resumption of nuclear testing.

And former Vice President Joe Biden reacted in a statement, “The possibility that the Trump administration may resume nuclear explosive weapons testing in Nevada is as reckless as it is dangerous. We have not tested a device since 1992; we don’t need to do so now.”

Said Titus, in a statement: “Nevadans have seen that President Trump doesn’t have the empathy or attention span to contain the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, we have watched his administration threaten our public lands and try to make our state the dumping ground for the nation’s nuclear waste. It’s no wonder more and more Nevada voters are opposed to giving him four more damaging years.”

Contact Debra J. Saunders at dsaunders@reviewjournal.com or 202-662-7391. Follow @Debrajsaunders on Twitter.