Source: The Atlantic
by Tom Nichols
“For 80 years, the president of the United States has remained the sole authority who can order the use of American nuclear weapons. If the commander in chief wishes to launch a sudden, unprovoked strike, or escalate a conventional conflict, or retaliate against a single nuclear aggression with all-out nuclear war, the choice is his and his alone. The order cannot be countermanded by anyone in the government or the military. … Nearly every president has had moments of personal instability and perhaps impaired judgment, however brief. … And at this very moment, a small plastic card of top-secret codes — the president’s personal key to America’s nuclear arsenal — is resting in one of President Donald Trump’s pockets as he fixates on shows of dominance, fumes about enemies (real and perceived), and allows misinformation to sway his decision making — all while regional wars simmer around the world.” (06/26/25)