The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists reports:
President Trump is followed 24/7 by a military aide that carries the “football,” the briefcase that holds all he would need to order the immediate launch of up to 1,000 nuclear weapons, more than enough megatonnage to blow the world back into the stone age. He does not need the approval of Congress or the secretary of defense. Shockingly, there are no checks and balances on this ultimate executive power.
President Trump took the nuclear football with him to Walter Reed Medical Center, where he received treatment for COVID-19. According to Trump’s doctor, the president’s blood oxygen levels had dipped. And this, according to independent health experts, can impair decision-making ability. He is taking dexamethasone, which can cause mood swings and “frank psychotic manifestations.” Yet as far as we know, at no point did the president transfer his powers to the vice president, as allowed under the 25th Amendment.
To state the obvious, we should not entrust nuclear launch authority to someone who is not fully lucid. (Reagan transferred authority temporarily before planned surgery, as did President George W. Bush before a medical procedure that required his sedation.) A nuclear crisis can happen at any time, including at the worst possible time. If such a crisis takes place when a president’s thinking is compromised for any reason, the results could be catastrophic.
Read the full article. The opening paragraph at the link is something. The Atomic Scientists are best known for their Doomsday Clock, which forecasts how close the world is to a nuclear apocalypse.
The Many Things In My Toy Box ….my view may change due to verifiable evidence
Trump will NEVER hand over one iota of his “authoritative power” to ANYONE. He’s far too much of a narcissist to allow anyone to “take credit” for nuking another country (in fact, I have strong doubts he even realizes what the word “nuke” means). While he has advisers and others who have FAR more international knowledge and experience, when push comes to shove, I have NO doubts that HE will make the decision — which very well could be based on some sort of criticism or unflattering remark a foreign power made about his abilities.
Yes, this recent virus episode very likely affected his mental faculties, but IMO the only way the power would transfer to others would be if he was totally unconscious.
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Absolutely. A power-hungry toddler isn’t gonna give anything away even for their own good.
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Hello Nan. Yes I agree. Remember how he reacted to the story that Rosenburg offered to wear a wire for an article 22 situation. Rosenburg had to crawl to tRump on his knees begging mercy and forgiveness, which tRump gave only until the end of the Mueller probe. Hugs
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