Nixon and the Nuclear Football.

[LuckyCharms]

A friend of mine stopped over this weekend. He was discussing how in his final days as President, Nixon was stealthily muzzled from utilizing nukes without first getting the go-ahead from the Secretary of Defense. It seems that Nixon was completely unaware of this.

The following quote is taken from the linked article:

Defense Secretary James Schlesinger recalled years later that in the final days of the Nixon presidency he had issued an unprecedented set of orders: If the president gave any nuclear launch order, military commanders should check with either him or Secretary of State Henry Kissinger before executing them. Schlesinger feared that the president, who seemed depressed and was drinking heavily, might order Armageddon.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/11/donald-trump-nuclear-weapons-richard-nixon-215478

[PJMcK]

1. Schleinger and Kissinger were making sane determinations

As a lifelong member of the Democratic Party, I find it bizarre that in the age of Trump, I'm observing that these two men who did so much damage, were acting in the best interests of the United States in this one regard.

We live in odd times.

[dalton99a]

2. Mattis should do the same ASAP

Check with him, not Pompeo