{"id":34500,"date":"2021-01-08T18:58:21","date_gmt":"2021-01-08T18:58:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/01\/08\/pelosi-asks-military-leaders-to-prevent-trump-from-starting-a-nuclear-war-in-his-final-days\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:57:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:57:46","slug":"pelosi-asks-military-leaders-to-prevent-trump-from-starting-a-nuclear-war-in-his-final-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/smr\/transition\/2021\/01\/08\/pelosi-asks-military-leaders-to-prevent-trump-from-starting-a-nuclear-war-in-his-final-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Pelosi asks military leaders to prevent Trump from starting a nuclear war in his final days"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amid unprecedented turmoil among the nation\u2019s political leaders, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday asked the Joint Chiefs chairman to keep an \u201cunstable\u201d President Donald Trump from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2021\/01\/08\/iraq-issues-arrest-warrant-for-trump-over-soleimani-killing\/\" target=_blank>launching America into surprise military hostilities<\/a> in his final days in office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe situation of this unhinged president could not be more dangerous, and we must do everything that we can to protect the American people from his unbalanced assault on our country and our democracy,\u201d Pelosi wrote in a letter to House Democrats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She specifically referenced America\u2019s nuclear arsenal, and added that \u201cif the president does not leave office imminently and willingly, the Congress will proceed with our action\u201d to impeach him.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/01\/08\/officer-killed-in-capitol-attack-was-an-air-national-guard-vet\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Sicknick-basic-training-background.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Officer killed in Capitol attack was an Air National Guard vet<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Brian Sicknick was a former staff sergeant with the New Jersey Air National Guard and deployed overseas during his time in the military.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Associated Press reported that Pelosi told fellow lawmakers that top Pentagon officials assured her steps are in place to prevent a nuclear launch under Trump\u2019s orders. However, Col. Dave Butler, spokesman for Army Gen. Mark Milley, said only of the call between the two leaders that \u201che answered her questions regarding the process of nuclear command authority.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s unclear what Milley or any uniformed military leader could do to intervene in such a scenario without breaking the established military chain of command, which falls under Trump as commander in chief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Tuesday, during a roundtable with reporters, Adm. Charles Richard, head of U.S. Strategic Command, said that if ordered to execute a nuclear strike \u2014 even late in a presidency \u2014 that \u201cI will follow any legal order that I am given, I will not follow any illegal orders. If you were to go much further, we\u2019re starting to call in civilian control of the military, which I think is a prized American attribute.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The showdown between congressional leaders and the White House comes just two days after pro-Trump rioters stormed Capitol Hill in an attempt to delay the official certification of President-elect Joe Biden\u2019s election victory last fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Five people were killed as a result of the violence, including a Capitol Police officer and a woman shot while trying to force her way onto the House chamber floor. Lawmakers managed to certify the results after an hours-long delay where security officials cleared the corridors of the Capitol.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/01\/08\/iraq-issues-arrest-warrant-for-trump-over-soleimani-killing\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21007379857619.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Iraq issues arrest warrant for Trump over Soleimani killing<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">An arrest warrant was issued Thursday for outgoing President Donald Trump in connection with the killing of an Iranian general and a powerful Iraqi militia leader last year, Iraq\u2019s judiciary said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump, who spoke at a rally shortly before the attack, initially praised individuals involved. But on Thursday, after a widespread outcry over his role in insisting the violence, Trump released a recorded message saying that \u201cdemonstrators who infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy\u201d and condemned their actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTo those who engage in the acts of violence and destruction, you do not represent our country,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd to those who broke the law, you will pay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Numerous administration officials have resigned in response since Wednesday, including Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. More than 160 lawmakers have called for Trump\u2019s immediate removal, either by his Cabinet invoking the 25th Amendment or through impeachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pelosi said that she has contacted Vice President Mike Pence about removing Trump from office because of his \u201cincitement of insurrection and the danger he still poses.\u201d Pence has not publicly commented on the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/01\/07\/former-defense-secretaries-mattis-esper-decry-attack-on-the-capitol-and-trumps-rhetoric\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21006854495058.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Former defense secretaries Mattis, Esper decry attack on the Capitol and Trump\u2019s rhetoric<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">One woman killed and numerous police injured as pro-Trump rioters attempted to disrupt congressional proceedings.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier this week, the 10 living former defense secretaries in an editorial in the Washington Post called for a peaceful transfer of power later this month and asked for current defense officials to \u201crefrain from any political actions that undermine the results of the election or hinder the success of the new team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mark Esper and Jim Mattis \u2014 both former defense secretaries fired by Trump \u2014 separately criticized the violence at the Capitol and Trump\u2019s role in inciting it. Mattis said in a statement that because of his actions \u201cMr. Trump will deservedly be left a man without a country\u201d when he leaves office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Biden is expected to be sworn in as president on Jan. 20.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The concerns come days after an attack on the Capitol building by pro-Trump rioters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":75184,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":131,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,36,30,131],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3424,3356],"class_list":["post-34500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters","category-smr","category-transition"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"EL62B4FKCNFKTOTUARBB7SZIBY","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/01\/08\/pelosi-asks-military-leaders-to-prevent-trump-from-starting-a-nuclear-war-in-his-final-days\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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