Warren Sounds Alarm on Inexperienced Trump Nominee to Run Nuclear Arsenal
“I am concerned that a leader without strong technical expertise and extensive experience could put our nuclear deterrent at risk and waste billions of dollars.”
“The person confirmed to lead the NNSA…must also make it abundantly clear that they would not share information with companies that might support China’s own nuclear modernization efforts, further jeopardizing American national security.”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to Mr. Brandon Williams, nominee for Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security and Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), with concerns over his lack of experience and potential ties to the Chinese government through his business. Mr. Williams' nomination will be considered by the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 8, 2025.
The NNSA is tasked with the design, production, and maintenance of the nation’s nuclear arsenal, along with ensuring the safety, security, and reliability of the country’s nuclear weapons. By law, anyone nominated for the position must “have extensive background in national security” and be “well qualified to manage nuclear weapons.” Each of the six previous Under Secretaries for Nuclear Security and NNSA Administrators had strong backgrounds in fields related to nuclear technology or national security. William’s two most recent predecessors each worked for more than 30 years in nuclear security before taking on the role.
Mr. Williams lacks any of the extensive technical experience of his predecessors. He completed a training at the Naval Nuclear Power School and served as a junior officer on a nuclear submarine, but does not possess any advanced degree in physics or engineering. The NNSA is in the middle of a $200 billion nuclear modernization project, which the Government Accountability Office has found already exceeded initial cost estimates by more than $2 billion and is behind by almost 10 years. Williams’ lack of experience raises concerns about his ability to effectively manage the nuclear arsenal.
“I am concerned that a leader without strong technical expertise and extensive experience could put our nuclear deterrent at risk and waste billions of dollars,” said Senator Warren.
Senator Warren also called out Mr. Williams’ ties to the Chinese government through his software cloud computing company, CPLANE.ai. In 2013, after founding the company, Mr. Williams partnered with PCCW Global, which was partially controlled by the Chinese government through China Unicom, a company banned from U.S. markets in 2018 due to “spying concerns.”
“The person confirmed to lead the NNSA…must also make it abundantly clear that they would not share information with companies that might support China’s own nuclear modernization efforts, further jeopardizing American national security,” concluded Senator Warren.
Senator Warren asked Mr. Williams to explain whether he supports DOGE’s mass firings at NNSA, how he plans to address his experience shortfalls, asked him to commit to not share information that would compromise national security interests, and more, by April 14, 2025.
Senator Warren has long worked to ensure the stability and safety of the United States nuclear arsenal:
- In March 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren slammed Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) reckless firings of federal employees, including at the NNSA, where workers who ensure the safety and security of the country’s nuclear stockpile were fired and had to be rehired.
- In January 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Elon Musk with recommendations that would cut at least $2 trillion in government waste, including cutting nearly $2 billion in NNSA yearly spending on plutonium pit production at the Savannah River Site.
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