December 12, 2016
Joshua Pollack
This article originally appeared in Arms Control Wonk on November 26, 2016.
Donald Trump Source: Flickr
The outcome of the U.S. presidential election has filled many Americans, and people around the world, with bewilderment and dread. How did we get here? Where are we going? How seriously should we take President-elect Trump’s promises?
[…]Much has already been said about the possible implications for the fate of the Iran deal, North Korea policy, nuclear modernization, extended deterrence, and bilateral arms control with Russia. Honestly, who knows what will happen? The informed commentary mostly boils down to the adage “personnel is policy,” and we still don’t have any clear idea of who will run the many relevant offices in the Departments of State, Defense, and Energy. Why bother adding to the speculation?
There’s just one area where we do know who will make the decisions, and that is the employment of nuclear weapons. This duty will fall to one Donald J. Trump of New York.
