Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, has raised concerns about the potential for President-elect Donald Trump to have the authority to initiate a nuclear attack. Markey emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating that Trump will have the sole power to launch a nuclear strike come January. He, along with Representative Ted Lieu, is urging President Biden to implement safeguards on presidential authority regarding nuclear war initiation.
Despite Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, during his previous term as president from 2017 to 2021, he did not utilize nuclear weapons. Trump has expressed strong views on the dangers posed by nuclear weapons, highlighting them as a significant threat to civilization.
Responding to Markey's concerns, individuals pointed out that Trump had the authority during his previous term but did not exercise it. Some emphasized that Trump had refrained from using nuclear weapons despite having the power to do so.
In a letter to President Biden, Markey and Lieu proposed a policy shift that would require express authorization from Congress before initiating a nuclear first strike. They have been advocating for this change for some time, introducing legislation such as the Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act.
The lawmakers stressed the importance of removing the sole authority from the president to launch nuclear weapons and ensuring that Congress plays a constitutional role in such decisions. They underscored the need to prevent any future unstable president from unilaterally starting a nuclear war.