Steven Bucci, former Army Special Forces officer and Pentagon official, now a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, joined Chicago’s Morning Answer to discuss the renewed debate over U.S. nuclear testing, growing tensions in Venezuela, and the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria.
Bucci said President Trump’s recent comments about restarting limited nuclear testing were both rational and overdue, countering media panic that framed the remarks as a return to Cold War brinkmanship. “When people hear ‘nuclear testing,’ they think mushroom clouds,” he said. “But what’s really being discussed are underground, controlled, and highly technical tests of specific components.” Bucci emphasized that such testing ensures the reliability of America’s nuclear deterrent, noting that adversaries like Russia, China, and North Korea continue to run their own programs in secret. “It’s foolish not to test,” he said. “These are small-scale, scientific tests—nothing like the massive detonations of the past.”
Bucci dismissed the hysteria surrounding Trump’s remarks as a product of media misunderstanding, referencing 60 Minutes correspondent Norah O’Donnell’s shocked reaction. “She’s been around long enough to know better,” he said. “This isn’t about starting a nuclear war—it’s about making sure our systems work.”
The conversation then turned to Venezuela, where reports suggest the administration is weighing airstrikes on military targets linked to drug trafficking and political repression. Trump told 60 Minutes he doubted a war was imminent but accused the Maduro regime of “dumping criminals and psychiatric patients” into the U.S. Bucci said the administration’s posturing likely serves a strategic purpose. “Trump uses pressure and unpredictability to keep opponents off balance,” he said. “He’s signaling to Maduro’s generals that the U.S. is watching—and that they might be next if they keep backing a corrupt regime.”
Bucci agreed with Wall Street Journal columnist Mary Anastasia O’Grady’s assessment that targeting Venezuela’s counterintelligence apparatus—the regime’s primary instrument of internal control—would be the most effective way to destabilize Maduro’s power structure. “You go after the people who make the repression possible,” he said. “If you can scare them or cut off their funding, you create the conditions for change from within.”
On the topic of Nigeria, Bucci discussed Trump’s expression of concern over the ongoing massacre of Christians by extremist groups. The former Pentagon official cautioned that while the situation demands attention, military intervention would be complex. “You can use air power to hit terrorist camps,” he said, “but ground forces are another matter. The Nigerian government’s military is either complicit in the violence or turning a blind eye.” Bucci noted that while the U.S. could offer training and intelligence support, any effective response would require Nigeria’s cooperation. “You can’t fight alongside a government that’s part of the problem,” he said.
Bucci concluded that America’s foreign policy challenges—from nuclear deterrence to humanitarian crises—require both strength and restraint. “The key is deterrence and pressure, not panic,” he said. “When we stay ready, our enemies think twice, and that’s how you prevent war.”