nuclear-news

President Trump could all too easily unleash armageddon

‘Thursday briefing: ‘Freaked out yet?’ Fears of Trump nuclear tantrum  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/24/thursday-briefing-freaked-out-yet-fears-of-trump-nuclear-tantrumPretty damn scary’ that he carries around missile codes …

James Clapper says president could all too easily unleash armageddon

Hello – it’s Warren Murray keeping you in the loop this morning.

Donald Trump’s access to nuclear codes is “pretty damn scary”, the former US intelligence chief James Clapper has said after the president’s “disturbing” speech in Arizona.

by Warren Murray  Concern at Trump’s temperament is fuelling efforts in Congress to prevent him carrying out a nuclear first strike without lawmakers’ approval. “Freaked out yet?”, asked congressman Ted Lieu, one of the bill’s sponsors, after Trump trashed his enemies and practically the entire media in front of a cheering crowd. Clapper reacted to the speech by questioning the US president’s “fitness to be in this office”. The seven-year director of national intelligence used North Korea to illustrate his fears. “[If] in a fit of pique he decides to do something about Kim Jong-un, there’s actually very little to stop him. The whole system is built to ensure rapid response if necessary. So there’s very little in the way of controls over exercising a nuclear option, which is pretty damn scary.”

August 25, 2017 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general