“There is no public evidence that Trump attempted to initiate a nuclear strike or access nuclear launch authority. Newsweek has reached out to the White House and the Pentagon for comment outside normal working hours.”
“Johnson used the phrase “nuclear codes” colloquially and did not describe how U.S. nuclear command-and-control procedures function. Under established protocol, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff does not have unilateral authority to block a presidential nuclear order.”
ranchoparksteve on
The code word is…banana
DootyMcCool2000 on
This sounds dubious. Don’t get me wrong, I hate Trump, but I think I can confidently say that this is highly exaggerated if not a fabrication.
Aggressive_Pie_4585 on
Before people start panicking, the source of these claims is a guy basically saying “trust me bro”. No corroboration from anyone else, no records of the incident, not even any clarification on what “use nuclear codes” means. By all accounts, it’s just complete hearsay.
baylaust on
Dude just went on Fox News and said “Trump tried to use the nuclear codes, according to a report.” Didn’t cite the report, didn’t name the source, didn’t even hint where this source came from other than a vague “report.”
With Trump, I’m used to assuming the worst, because the worst is usually pretty accurate. But when it comes to something as big as “He tried to go nuclear,” gonna need something a bit more substantive than “I heard.”
PicoRascar on
Considering he suggested nuking hurricanes, this basically tracks.
def_indiff on
> The claim originates from comments made by former CIA officer Larry Johnson during an appearance on Judging Freedom, a podcast and YouTube talk show hosted by former Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano. Johnson did not provide evidence, did not identify any sources for his account and did not clarify what he meant by “nuclear codes.” Newsweek has found no independent corroboration for the claim.
> Johnson did not name his source, explain how the information was obtained, or provide any details about what actions Trump was alleged to have taken. He did not clarify whether he was referring to a nuclear strike, a briefing, or any formal command process.
I put nothing past Trump, but that’s pretty weak sourcing.
Hydra_Flatline on
This definitely “I think he would do that so I want to believe” territory.
We all need to try to stay as evidence based as possible in any of these things
GuyHamburgers on
This still based on the mirror article? Meaning it’s just BS fantasy.
Miltthedog on
Click bait, pure and simple.
IllustriousRange226 on
Thankful that he’s old and sundowning so he probably forgets the codes when he tries to use them then gives up and watches TV and McDonald’s.
LangyMD on
Even if the one dude who claimed this is correct, it could have just been Trump asking about a nuclear option to end the Iran war and being told it was a bad idea. We already know he asked about the nuclear option when dealing with a hurricane; doing so at an actual war seems within Trump’s character, especially when he was publicly threatening genocide at the same time.
And even that is trusting a single report from a person who wasn’t there and can’t have first hand knowledge of the events.
ichthysaur on
I saw the Mirror make this claim. IOW just some tabloid jaw-jacking.
Novel_Quote8017 on
As if. There is no one truly standing between him and the nukes, just like there was no one stopping him from starting the war with Iran.
AnonAmbientLight on
Jesus.
Look, you folks need to pester your Republican representatives in whatever way you can.
Call. Email. Protest.
Don’t just post on Reddit and dust your hands for a job well done.
I email my rep multiple times a week. Sometimes I get lazy and use ChatGPT but most of the time I just straight yell at them, AS IS MY RIGHT.
Yall should do the same. They don’t get to sit comfortably while all this is going down.
schu4KSU on
My guess is he asked to see “the menu” for Iran.
ckglle3lle on
The sourcing on this is thin and it likely isn’t true that Trump actually tried to do this. But afaik, the reporting about there being a major argument recently *has* been corroborated and that’s worrying on its own
dehydratedrain on
Great. If this isn’t real, we probably just spoke it into existence.
fractalcoholic on
He lost the codes back at Mar a Largo
Kaiisim on
I don’t think so.
I’d believe he suggested it and was told no we can’t just nuke Iran
mike0sd on
He thought the codes were a 13 year old girl, so he couldn’t stop himself from trying to touch
hifumiyo1 on
Do you mean that he “tried to order a strike”? Or just wanted to play with the code cards?
Thirdnipple79 on
While there isn’t enough info about this, the reality is that he was threatening genocide. This isn’t hearsay or rumour. Threats to wipe out a civilization. Anybody else threatening civilians would be in jail. If someone threatened to shoot up a neighbourhood you wouldn’t think that guy should have a gun. This man threatened people with genocide – he should not have control over any weapons especially nuclear. You would think someone would get impeached for this, but Americans seem to be fine with it and will act surprised if he were to launch a nuke.
PSPs0 on
Didn’t he ask to nuke a hurricane in his first term?
StressSevere1189 on
One of the biggest debates in the years to come is not that the United States president was insane and had dementia. It would be why the cowards of the Republican party did not remove him from power.
PSPs0 on
Didn’t he ask to nuke a hurricane in his first term?
Sabiancym on
The fact that no one would be surprised if he did this is crazy.
TinhatTemplar on
He has to go. The fact that I’m ready to believe the word of a man that is out of government for over 30 years speaks to the psychological terror we’ve all been under while this moron has been steering us towards the cliffs.
philhilarious on
The bots are skeptical, so this seems almost certainly true.
metalxslug on
It might be bullshit but it’s totally believable when we vote for an unhinged and perfidious game show host.
PeachesPennyxx on
i swear headlines like this always feel like something out of a movie plot 😭 i read it twice just to make sure i didn’t misread it the first time
OkCantaloupe2082 on
The scary thing is that, whether it happened or not, it’s totally believable.
NicolasCageFan492 on
25th Amendment. Now. Before it’s too late.
Removing Trump using the 25th Amendment will allow the Republicans a fig leaf, giving them the ability to save face and say “we still support Trump, he just lost his mental capacity.”
I don’t care how it happens, but **MAKE IT HAPPEN.** Let it be bipartisan. The entire world is depending on us. Make it happen before it’s **too late**!
If Kharg Island is invaded or destroyed, or we destroy Iran’s entire civil infrastructure, or we invade Iran with ground troops, or we drop a fucking nuclear bomb, **it’ll be too late.**
play_images on
So there isn’t evidence….. but it would fall in line to what we heard about Trump yelling at someone that resulted in him being locked out of a private meeting
There is a non-zero chance he believes this could all be over if he just nukes Iran, consequences be damned.
SanchoPandas on
what a reckless fucking thing to say on tv. good grief.
Additional_Rich_5249 on
What?
SteveHamlin1 on
The sole source of this is a guy whose claim to fame is that he was worked for the CIA for a short while, ending 35 years ago. Since then he has been a rabble-rousing pundit of no particular repute who just spouts random un-sourced conspiracy theories.
But sure – he’s got the current inside information about what happened in the Situation Room last week.
binocular_gems on
In a different era, this headline would be written to elucidate, not to make things less clear.
What the headline should say is, “Former CIA Officer Makes Unverified Claim that Trump Tried to ‘Use Nuclear Codes’ in Iran Ceasefire Negotiations”
Instead, we have Newsweek’s headline, which will inevitably be made even less coherent by the Daily Beast, and all of them will be posted on reddit and upvoted.
Mother-Way-9296 on
Can’t be true for one simple reason.
Under _Trump vs. United States_, any Official Act of the President is legal.
If Trump, as Commander in Chief, called for the nuclear codes, he must receive them. If someone down the line of the process wants to take the chance of answering to him for refusal to execute those codes, so be it and the world thanks you.
If he legitimately asked for the nuclear codes and was refused, then the military heads must immediately take whatever steps possible to remove him from the office, once and for all.
uhs23 on
I am not a bot but this is your friendly reminder that it’s not just the US intelligence “community” that runs disinformation campaigns against their adversaries.
Iran has been running an incredibly effective PR campaign against the US since this idiot war was started by our idiot POTUS.
Unfortunately this particular POTUS has a track record to make the most ridiculous claims exceedingly plausible, like this one.
The war on reality is real, be vigilant in your media intake. 🖖
PretendThisIsUnique on
From the article:
North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis told Newsweek. “I just don’t. I can’t imagine. You know the president, I just can’t imagine that that was ever a serious consideration.”
I know that Republicans love playing dumb but what a stupid way to try to minimize the claims. Regardless of if this happened or not I think that most Americans at this point would completely believe and perhaps even expect this to have happened.
1iIiii11IIiI1i1i11iI on
The best time to impeach and remove Trump was 2016. The second best time is now.
maikelg on
Remember, if a headline of an article is a yes or no question, the answer is always no because otherwise that would just be the headline.
AwesomeDakka00 on
and yet this insult to humanity claimed a woman would be too emotionally unstable to run a country.
Subject-Dealer6350 on
Dont tempt it
ScoopTheOranges on
The day he dies will be the day all of this heinous shit comes out, they’ll all blame each other too as he goes under the bus.
susanrez on
Stage 6 dementia and it only gets worse from here.
WHSRWizard on
There is a 0.0% chance this happened.
If Trump tried to use the codes and he was told no by his general(s), that would have set off an incredible crisis that would have resulted in relieving people of command, intervention of the SECDEF, and all manners of Constitutional crises.
We sure as shit would not be hearing about it from some retired CIA officer, who would habe neither the placement or the access to it.
49 Comments
[deleted]
“There is no public evidence that Trump attempted to initiate a nuclear strike or access nuclear launch authority. Newsweek has reached out to the White House and the Pentagon for comment outside normal working hours.”
“Johnson used the phrase “nuclear codes” colloquially and did not describe how U.S. nuclear command-and-control procedures function. Under established protocol, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff does not have unilateral authority to block a presidential nuclear order.”
The code word is…banana
This sounds dubious. Don’t get me wrong, I hate Trump, but I think I can confidently say that this is highly exaggerated if not a fabrication.
Before people start panicking, the source of these claims is a guy basically saying “trust me bro”. No corroboration from anyone else, no records of the incident, not even any clarification on what “use nuclear codes” means. By all accounts, it’s just complete hearsay.
Dude just went on Fox News and said “Trump tried to use the nuclear codes, according to a report.” Didn’t cite the report, didn’t name the source, didn’t even hint where this source came from other than a vague “report.”
With Trump, I’m used to assuming the worst, because the worst is usually pretty accurate. But when it comes to something as big as “He tried to go nuclear,” gonna need something a bit more substantive than “I heard.”
Considering he suggested nuking hurricanes, this basically tracks.
> The claim originates from comments made by former CIA officer Larry Johnson during an appearance on Judging Freedom, a podcast and YouTube talk show hosted by former Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano. Johnson did not provide evidence, did not identify any sources for his account and did not clarify what he meant by “nuclear codes.” Newsweek has found no independent corroboration for the claim.
> Johnson did not name his source, explain how the information was obtained, or provide any details about what actions Trump was alleged to have taken. He did not clarify whether he was referring to a nuclear strike, a briefing, or any formal command process.
I put nothing past Trump, but that’s pretty weak sourcing.
This definitely “I think he would do that so I want to believe” territory.
We all need to try to stay as evidence based as possible in any of these things
This still based on the mirror article? Meaning it’s just BS fantasy.
Click bait, pure and simple.
Thankful that he’s old and sundowning so he probably forgets the codes when he tries to use them then gives up and watches TV and McDonald’s.
Even if the one dude who claimed this is correct, it could have just been Trump asking about a nuclear option to end the Iran war and being told it was a bad idea. We already know he asked about the nuclear option when dealing with a hurricane; doing so at an actual war seems within Trump’s character, especially when he was publicly threatening genocide at the same time.
And even that is trusting a single report from a person who wasn’t there and can’t have first hand knowledge of the events.
I saw the Mirror make this claim. IOW just some tabloid jaw-jacking.
As if. There is no one truly standing between him and the nukes, just like there was no one stopping him from starting the war with Iran.
Jesus.
Look, you folks need to pester your Republican representatives in whatever way you can.
Call. Email. Protest.
Don’t just post on Reddit and dust your hands for a job well done.
I email my rep multiple times a week. Sometimes I get lazy and use ChatGPT but most of the time I just straight yell at them, AS IS MY RIGHT.
Yall should do the same. They don’t get to sit comfortably while all this is going down.
My guess is he asked to see “the menu” for Iran.
The sourcing on this is thin and it likely isn’t true that Trump actually tried to do this. But afaik, the reporting about there being a major argument recently *has* been corroborated and that’s worrying on its own
Great. If this isn’t real, we probably just spoke it into existence.
He lost the codes back at Mar a Largo
I don’t think so.
I’d believe he suggested it and was told no we can’t just nuke Iran
He thought the codes were a 13 year old girl, so he couldn’t stop himself from trying to touch
Do you mean that he “tried to order a strike”? Or just wanted to play with the code cards?
While there isn’t enough info about this, the reality is that he was threatening genocide. This isn’t hearsay or rumour. Threats to wipe out a civilization. Anybody else threatening civilians would be in jail. If someone threatened to shoot up a neighbourhood you wouldn’t think that guy should have a gun. This man threatened people with genocide – he should not have control over any weapons especially nuclear. You would think someone would get impeached for this, but Americans seem to be fine with it and will act surprised if he were to launch a nuke.
Didn’t he ask to nuke a hurricane in his first term?
One of the biggest debates in the years to come is not that the United States president was insane and had dementia. It would be why the cowards of the Republican party did not remove him from power.
Didn’t he ask to nuke a hurricane in his first term?
The fact that no one would be surprised if he did this is crazy.
He has to go. The fact that I’m ready to believe the word of a man that is out of government for over 30 years speaks to the psychological terror we’ve all been under while this moron has been steering us towards the cliffs.
The bots are skeptical, so this seems almost certainly true.
It might be bullshit but it’s totally believable when we vote for an unhinged and perfidious game show host.
i swear headlines like this always feel like something out of a movie plot 😭 i read it twice just to make sure i didn’t misread it the first time
The scary thing is that, whether it happened or not, it’s totally believable.
25th Amendment. Now. Before it’s too late.
Removing Trump using the 25th Amendment will allow the Republicans a fig leaf, giving them the ability to save face and say “we still support Trump, he just lost his mental capacity.”
I don’t care how it happens, but **MAKE IT HAPPEN.** Let it be bipartisan. The entire world is depending on us. Make it happen before it’s **too late**!
If Kharg Island is invaded or destroyed, or we destroy Iran’s entire civil infrastructure, or we invade Iran with ground troops, or we drop a fucking nuclear bomb, **it’ll be too late.**
So there isn’t evidence….. but it would fall in line to what we heard about Trump yelling at someone that resulted in him being locked out of a private meeting
There is a non-zero chance he believes this could all be over if he just nukes Iran, consequences be damned.
what a reckless fucking thing to say on tv. good grief.
What?
The sole source of this is a guy whose claim to fame is that he was worked for the CIA for a short while, ending 35 years ago. Since then he has been a rabble-rousing pundit of no particular repute who just spouts random un-sourced conspiracy theories.
But sure – he’s got the current inside information about what happened in the Situation Room last week.
In a different era, this headline would be written to elucidate, not to make things less clear.
What the headline should say is, “Former CIA Officer Makes Unverified Claim that Trump Tried to ‘Use Nuclear Codes’ in Iran Ceasefire Negotiations”
Instead, we have Newsweek’s headline, which will inevitably be made even less coherent by the Daily Beast, and all of them will be posted on reddit and upvoted.
Can’t be true for one simple reason.
Under _Trump vs. United States_, any Official Act of the President is legal.
If Trump, as Commander in Chief, called for the nuclear codes, he must receive them. If someone down the line of the process wants to take the chance of answering to him for refusal to execute those codes, so be it and the world thanks you.
If he legitimately asked for the nuclear codes and was refused, then the military heads must immediately take whatever steps possible to remove him from the office, once and for all.
I am not a bot but this is your friendly reminder that it’s not just the US intelligence “community” that runs disinformation campaigns against their adversaries.
Iran has been running an incredibly effective PR campaign against the US since this idiot war was started by our idiot POTUS.
Unfortunately this particular POTUS has a track record to make the most ridiculous claims exceedingly plausible, like this one.
The war on reality is real, be vigilant in your media intake. 🖖
From the article:
North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis told Newsweek. “I just don’t. I can’t imagine. You know the president, I just can’t imagine that that was ever a serious consideration.”
I know that Republicans love playing dumb but what a stupid way to try to minimize the claims. Regardless of if this happened or not I think that most Americans at this point would completely believe and perhaps even expect this to have happened.
The best time to impeach and remove Trump was 2016. The second best time is now.
Remember, if a headline of an article is a yes or no question, the answer is always no because otherwise that would just be the headline.
and yet this insult to humanity claimed a woman would be too emotionally unstable to run a country.
Dont tempt it
The day he dies will be the day all of this heinous shit comes out, they’ll all blame each other too as he goes under the bus.
Stage 6 dementia and it only gets worse from here.
There is a 0.0% chance this happened.
If Trump tried to use the codes and he was told no by his general(s), that would have set off an incredible crisis that would have resulted in relieving people of command, intervention of the SECDEF, and all manners of Constitutional crises.
We sure as shit would not be hearing about it from some retired CIA officer, who would habe neither the placement or the access to it.