If Donald Trump decided to launch nuclear weapons tomorrow...

[Drazzil]

Say tomorrow morning, President Trump wakes up, brushes the Big Mac crumbs off his shirt; stretches out and waddles himself into the Oval Office. For whatever reason, a stroke, impending impeachment or just sheer folly; he decides that "Those Chinese sumbitches gotta go" Would anyone be able to stop him if he wants to use Nukes unprovoked and consults with no one first?

[Smoove_B]

He can't even close an umbrella and I'm expected to believe he has the ability to launch a nuclear missile by himself? Not worried. At all.

[Drazzil]

He can't even close an umbrella and I'm expected to believe he has the ability to launch a nuclear missile by himself? Not worried. At all.

I'm hoping that Mark Esper current secdef would decline the president's orders.

[LawBeefaroni]

Light 'em up, baby! MAGtothemotherfuckingA!


At least that's why they'd tell him as they hand him the red power switch to the water purifier in the conference room.

[Archinerd]

Say tomorrow morning, President Trump wakes up, brushes the Big Mac crumbs off his shirt; stretches out and waddles himself into the Oval Office. For whatever reason, a stroke, impending impeachment or just sheer folly; he decides that "Those Chinese sumbitches gotta go" Would anyone be able to stop him if he wants to use Nukes unprovoked and consults with no one first?

China? Nah, California would be more plausible to me.

[Defiant]

I am not a lawyer or a constitutional scholar or anything, but my understanding was that...

Under Nixon, the Sec of Defense (I think) gave orders that any such orders from Nixon would have to be approved by him, but that was a constitutionally questionable order.

Hopefully, the current administration has put something in place along those lines.

[Jaymann]

It would be fine as long as it's aimed at a hurricane.

[Blackhawk]

The thing that stops him is that Trump doesn't launch nuclear weapons. Trump gives the order to launch nuclear weapons. Someone else (multiple someones) actually have to push the button, and those people have already spent years soul-searching about what they'd do if he decided to use them to, say, get rid of a competing golf course.

[hepcat]

Trump has to okay anything with Putin and then Saudi Arabia. Then he'll take a nap and forget about it.

[em2nought]

Not sure what you're worried about, it's not like Dick Cheney is VP anymore.

[hepcat]

It's entirely possible for two presidents to be awful...especially when they're both Republicans.

<with the caveat that I never for once thought Bush was mentally ill and/or morally bankrupt>

[Remus West]

It's entirely possible for two presidents to be awful...especially when they're both Republicans.

<with the caveat that I never for once thought Bush was mentally ill and/or morally bankrupt>

When he lied to get us into war with Iraq you didn't question his moral bankruptcy?

[hepcat]

No. I did question the power the aforementioned Cheney (and Wolfowitz) had over him though. Bush never came across as vindictive or completely stupid. Just easily swayed by those with hawkish agendas. I wouldn't argue that he was suited for the job though. He seemed to be a bit addled at times, but not mentally ill.