(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Will the Presidential Debate dare to go Anywhere near -- that "3 AM Phone Call" Question? [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-09-08 — — Just a little “light reading” for a quiet Sunday night — before the National CEO “interview” … er, I mean the one-sided “mental acuity” test. Before a national audience … but I digress. It would be really helpful, if the MSM referees actually grasped the gravity of the “contest,” that they are staging. MSNBC's Chris Hayes: “Everyone's grading Trump on a curve. ... He does not sound like a person who should be anywhere near the nuclear codes” www.mediamatters.org — 09/06/24 CHRIS HAYES (HOST): Donald Trump is 78 years old. Did you know that? If elected, he will be the oldest person to ever be sworn in as president of the United States. He's a man that is suffering from I think pretty obvious mental decline. But in contrast to the breathless coverage of Joe Biden's age and fitness, which, again, made a certain amount of sense, prior to his dropping out of the presidential race, we are not seeing nearly as much discussion about Trump's diminished mental acuity. When was the last time you read an article wondering if Trump was mentally fit to be president of the United States? It is simply not leading the coverage of this race as it was with Biden two months ago. Seems like everyone's grading Trump on a curve. He's always been rambling and incoherent, true, so he gets a pass. But, I got to say, if you spend any amount of time listening to him these days — and for our sins, we do at All In — he does not sound like a person who should be anywhere near the nuclear codes . [...] Link to that All In clip from a couple days ago. Hayes make several important and obvious points, to his national audience. Warning: Keep away from children, and those with anger issues. This insider who had a front row seat, to the first Trump Administration, has a rather stark warning should he get a second chance. Only to fall on reporters’ deaf ears ... [...] Speaking to MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell, [Cassidy] Hutchinson said she saw "several" other incidents of the frontrunner in the GOP primary losing his temper , and suggested such volatile behavior means he is unsuitable to be president again. "Out of all of the reasons that Donald Trump should never be anywhere close to the Oval Office again, this may seem like a minor one, but his volcanic temper — He deserves to be nowhere near the nuclear code buttons ," Hutchinson said. [...] www.newsweek.com — Dec 07, 2023 Just imagine the Sequel — when the “Guardrails” are gone. Level-headedness and cool under pressure — used to be a sought after character traits, in order to qualify for the presidency. Those were the days, eh. Lest some think, I am being hyperbolic ... The pending danger of Trump off-the-rails has gotten so code “acute,” that even these studious “Scientist guys” are strongly urging, that President Biden install some ‘circuit breakers’ into the nuclear launch process. Before it is too late ... Trump could win back the nuclear codes. Biden should put guardrails on the nuclear arsenal—now. July 30, 2024 — Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists On January 6, 2021, then-President Donald Trump inspired a mob attack on the US Capitol to try to prevent the peaceful transfer of power to the Biden administration. Not only was this an unprecedented attack on American democracy, but it represented a serious national security threat. Many saw and see this as one of many examples of an unstable President Trump acting in dangerous, irrational ways. And throughout his time in office, Trump — like all presidents in the nuclear age — had the unilateral authority to launch the US nuclear arsenal. At any moment, Trump could literally have ended the world with a phone call . Congressional approval is not needed, and the secretary of defense cannot stop a presidential order to unleash the US nuclear arsenal. The system is built for speed, not deliberation. The whole process, from presidential order to the launch of one or hundreds of nuclear warheads, would take just minutes. [...] President Biden would have to make such a policy change by executive order. Passing congressional legislation would be more durable but is unlikely in the current political environment. If Trump wins the election, he would likely reverse Biden’s order. But if Vice President Kamala Harris wins, the new policy could be strengthened over time with legislation. Such a policy would provide clear directives for the military to follow: A launch could be ordered only if the United States had already been attacked with nuclear weapons or if Congress had approved the decision, providing a constitutional check to executive power . This would be infinitely safer than our current doctrine. [...] Words to the wise. Too bad wisdom is in such short supply these days. Character matters, in more ways than we usually count. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/story/2024/9/8/2268828/-Will-the-Presidential-Debate-dare-to-go-Anywhere-near-that-3-AM-Call-Question Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/