President Trump announced that four privately funded American micro-reactor developers have achieved criticality under a Department of Energy pilot program, marking the first new advanced reactors activated in decades and meeting a July Fourth deadline. He framed the milestone as a historic renaissance for civilian nuclear energy and a sign that the United States is once again leading in next-generation power, crediting executive orders he signed to speed licensing and regulatory review in pursuit of quadrupling nuclear capacity by 2050. While the White House highlighted rapid progress and boosted national pride, some Democratic lawmakers criticized the approach for potentially reducing public input and NRC oversight. The companies involved—Antares Nuclear, Deployable Energy, Aalo Atomics, and Valar Atomics—reached criticality at varying times, with Aalo reportedly achieving it in the early hours of July 4. The administration has tied nuclear expansion to broader goals, including powering AI infrastructure and strengthening energy security, and has also referenced related international cooperation. Critics warn that hastened approvals could pose safety and regulatory risks amid the push for faster deployment.