There has been a lot of talk, especially on MSNBC, and controversy over the veracity of a report by MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” host Joe Scraborough, that back in May of this year, the GOP presidential nominee contender Donald Trump had a “security briefing.” Scarborough alleged that during that briefing Trump asked, three times, since the US has them, “why can’t we use nuclear weapons?”
Of course, everyone on the panel was stunned by Scarborough’s statement but they all took it on face value as factual and not one of them questioned him about his source or why he sat on this information for three months. Without further confirmation, either from the actual source or a second more reliable report, this should be taken with a large dose of salt.
But let’s consider what we do know. Naturally, the Trump campaign is denying this as “inaccurate” stating that Trump hasn’t has any meetings as described by Scarborough. But did Scarborough just misspeak? Trump, as just one of several contenders for the nomination, would not have been getting “security briefings” at that time. Those briefings only started after he was confirmed as the GOP nominee and that is scary enough. According the Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog, he may have been referring to foreign policy meetings with former Secretaries of State James Baker and Henry Kissinger.
Trump went on to claim that he won Kissinger over, or at least persuaded him that he’d be feared as president:
Donald Trump said Henry Kissinger agrees with his foreign policy ideas at a rally in Fresno, California Friday.
“One of the biggest diplomats in the country who is a friend of mine, you saw recently I actually met with him and it was all over the place, so you can figure it out,” Trump began, apparently referencing a meeting he had with Kissinger, former secretary of state and foreign policy guru, in the middle of May.
Trump continued: “And he said, ‘Donald, I thought you were wrong in your approach. I thought it was too tough. But you know what? All of those countries are calling me, What do we do, what do we do, how can we make him happy?’”
But Kissinger denied that:
Through a spokesperson, Kissinger disputed Trump’s account. “On foreign policy, you identify many key problems” Kissinger said of Trump. “I do not generally agree with the solutions. One-shot outcomes are probably not possible.”
“One-shot outcomes are probably not possible.” What did Kissinger’s spokesperson mean by that? Was that an overly cryptic way of signaling the fact that Trump had said he could settle any international dispute with one nuke?
Could one of them be Scarborough’s source and refused until now to allow Scarborough to discuss the meeting? As Steve M. suggests maybe the source didn’t think Trump was that much of a threat until now. But why, considering the gravity of the accusation that Trump does not understand the consequences of using nuclear weapons, would anyone remain silent?
MSNBC’s “The Last Word” host Lawrence O’Donnell discussed the dangers of having an unstable president, Richard M. Nixon; how close the US came to nuclear war during the Carter administration and the time that a president would have to make that critical decision to launch a nuclear attack.
Whatever their reason, if this is true, Scarborough and his source sitting on this information is unthinkable. It’s now out there in the news and considering Trump’s antics this part week, it’s a really frightening thought that the nuclear codes could be in the hands of an ignorant narcissistic, psychopath.