Senators are trying to limit the powers of Trump in the use of nuclear weapons

Photo: facebook / The White House

US senators held hearings on the powers of the president in the matter of a nuclear strike. The debate took place against the background of growing tensions between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

At the debate, organized and headed by the famous critic of Donald Trump, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, the hypothetical decision of the US President to launch a nuclear attack on the enemy was considered.

“Let's just acknowledge the uniqueness of this moment,” the senator said during a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"We are concerned that the President of the United States has such a mercurial temperament, such an extravagant approach to decision-making, that he could order a nuclear strike that is clearly not in the national security interests of the United States," Chris Murphy added.

In the event of a continued or imminent nuclear attack, senators and experts speaking at the hearings agreed that the president has all the powers to defend the country in accordance with the US Constitution.

Only the president can order a nuclear strike.

“Once an order is issued and confirmed, there is no way to reverse it,” said Senate Committee Chairman Bob Corker.

The senator publicly criticized Trump, warning him last month that he was leading the nation “toward a third world war” with his statements about North Korea and verbal skirmishes with Kim Jong-un.

In August, Trump promised “fire and rage” in response to North Korea’s previously expressed threat of striking Guam.

Kim Jong-un, in turn, called Trump "an old man who has lost his mind," whose behavior is indicative of "mental disorder."

During Trump's 12-day trip to Asia, where Pyongyang’s nuclear program was repeatedly discussed, Trump called the DPRK's 33-year-old North Korean leader a “fat little man” and warned that the mistaken recognition of American determination as weakness would be a “fatal miscalculation”.

A verbal exchange alarmed US lawmakers.

"Human factor"

While some senators, including Democrat Edward Marki, expressed fear that in the Trump era, the impulsive commander-in-chief has the right to unilaterally launch a nuclear strike, experts warned against changes in US legislation that would increase the possibility of making decisions on this matter on lower level.

“I think if we somehow changed the decision-making process because of a lack of confidence in this president, that would be an unfortunate precedent,” said Brian McKeon, a former deputy defense secretary in the Obama administration.

One of the issues discussed was the concept of "imminent threat", when the president, believing that another country poses a direct threat to the United States, issues an order for a preemptive nuclear strike.

Three experts agreed that there is no clear definition of an “imminent threat” suggesting that a missile on a North Korean launch pad may fall under this qualification, but other scenarios may be less clear.

Robert Köhler, who led the US strategic command from 2011 to 2013, referred to the main military rule: “The military is obliged to execute legal orders, but is not obliged to execute illegal”.

Koehler stated that the military rules of "necessity" and "proportionality" also apply to decisions on the use of nuclear weapons.

When the general was asked what he would do if he considered that the presidential order was illegal, Köhler could not give a clear answer.

“I don’t know for sure,” he replied. “The human factor comes into play.”

In such a situation, according to Brian McKeon, the president can replace not only such a commander, but also the secretary of defense. “Then you have a real constitutional crisis,” McKeon said.

This caused concern among some Republican senators.

“Our adversaries are watching us,” said Senator Marco Rubio, warning of moves that could cast doubt on the US president's authority in the conflict.

"One of the things that voters think about" in the US presidential election, Rubio said, "do they want to entrust this opportunity to the president?"

After the imposition of sanctions North Korea promised cruel revenge on the States. In response, Trump promised to respond to North Korea with “fire and rage,” the DPRK in turn threatened to launch a missile strike on the territory of the US Pacific island of Guam.

Due to the current situation The Pentagon has prepared a plan for a preemptive strike on North Korean missile targetswhich will be inflicted if US President Donald Trump gives the appropriate order.

After that, the DPRK began to threaten to destroy different regions of the United States.

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Trump threatened to completely destroy the DPRK: speech in Russian

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