{"id":34186,"date":"2021-01-14T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-14T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/01\/14\/trumps-behavior-demonstrates-that-biden-must-change-us-nuclear-policy\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:43:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:43:41","slug":"trumps-behavior-demonstrates-that-biden-must-change-us-nuclear-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2021\/01\/14\/trumps-behavior-demonstrates-that-biden-must-change-us-nuclear-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s behavior demonstrates that Biden must change US nuclear policy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

President Donald Trump\u2019s role in inciting the shocking events at the Capitol<\/a> on Jan. 6 and concerns about his state of mind highlight the grave risks posed by the policy that gives presidents the sole authority to order the use of nuclear weapons<\/a> \u2014 without the need for consultation or agreement by anyone. This danger is heightened by a second policy that allows the United States to use nuclear weapons \u2014 not just in response to a nuclear attack, but also first during hostilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this arrangement appears especially risky now, giving any one person the authority to order the use of nuclear weapons is inherently risky and completely unnecessary. Any use of nuclear weapons would be devastating and should require both a presidential order and the agreement of two other officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike decades ago, when sole authority was first established, there is a straightforward way to include other officials in a launch decision. President-elect Joe Biden<\/a> should make this long-overdue change once in office by limiting his own authority to order a nuclear attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government continuously tracks the location of officials in the presidential line of succession and maintains the ability to quickly and securely communicate with them so that if the president dies or is incapacitated, presidential authority seamlessly devolves to the next person in line. This capability, implemented by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, allows the Pentagon\u2019s war room \u2014 which would issue the launch order to bomber and missile crews \u2014 to be confident that any order is coming from the current president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FEMA system would also allow the war room to quickly and securely communicate with these additional officials to get their assent to or veto of the launch order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are compelling reasons to designate the next two people in the presidential line of succession for this important role. Normally these would be the vice president and the speaker of the House. (The next four are the president pro tempore of the Senate, the secretary of state, the secretary of treasury and the secretary of defense.)<\/p>\n\n\n\t