Donald Trump ushered in the New Year with a flurry of tweets, ranging from calling for the jailing of political opponents to announcing his “Fake News Awards”. But of all the ridiculous and embarrassing tweets of 2018, one stood out as the most terrifying.
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018
This tweet reads more like a line from SNL, but unfortunately for the world, it’s very real.
Trump’s nuclear threat should scare the living daylights out of every American, as starting a nuclear war with North Korea could only end in disaster. While the DPRK may not have
developed second strike capacity, launching a nuclear warhead could spook other well armed nations in the region, such as Russia or China, which would basically result in worldwide nuclear annihilation.
Trump’s impulsiveness was highlighted during the campaign by his opponent, Hillary Clinton, who said “Someone who can be baited by a tweet cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons.” And while nuclear protocol does require Trump to consult military and civilian advisers, the decision to launch ultimately rests in his *tiny* hands. However, two lawmakers have proposed a solution that might just prevent this potential nuclear peril.
Rep. Ted Lieu of California and Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts proposed the Restricting
First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2017, which would require a congressional declaration of war before launching a first-use nuclear strike. With a President as sensitive and impulsive as Trump constantly sparring with the equally imprudent Kim Jong Un, limiting executive nuclear capacity seems like a good idea to me. The House and Senate versions of the bill have been referred to each chamber’s respective Foreign Affairs Committees, but I’d be shocked if Republicans were willing to take such a stance against Trump.
I’d like to note that I’m writing this article from a family vacation in Hawaii, where I rang in the New Year by listening the the state test its nuclear warning sirens. For the sake of all
Americans, especially those in Hawaii, Alaska, and Guam, Congress should act to prevent
Trump’s Twitter fingers from becoming trigger fingers.
