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THE PRESIDENT’S SOLE AUTHORITY FOR FIRST USE, Arms Control Wonk , by Michael  Krepon | October 12, 2020  

Quote of the week:

“Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants…  We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount.”
― General Omar N. Bradley

The President of the United States has unrestricted powers to use nuclear weapons first if he or she deems this necessary. Concerns about the absence of checks and balances on the first use of nuclear weapons have spiked because of Donald Trump’s bellicose temperament and shallow understanding of nuclear flash points. They have been exacerbated by his erratic behavior and remarks while recovering from the COVID virus.

What to do? Some on Capitol Hill have introduced legislation that would prohibit the president from launching a nuclear first strike without a declaration of war by the Congress. In my view, this is the wrong remedy. Instead, I propose a three person rule for crossing the nuclear threshold first that can be enacted by executive order and reaffirmed by the Congress………… https://www.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/1210154/the-presidents-sole-authority-for-first-use/