Trump
Why the idea of Trump as president should worry us
tl;dr;
Donald Trump is not averse to using nuclear weapons, or violence in general, for that matter.
Discussion
Many people are anxious about the idea that Donald Trump may become president. The thought even frightens republican top politicians so much that they rather will vote for the enemy, Hillary Clinton.
Whether you like Trump or not, there are clear and objective reasons why voting for him is a terrible idea. For instance, Trump has zero political, economical, diplomatic or military experience. Absolutely none. Can you expect a person who hasn't even attended as little as a town counsil to become the most powerful person in the world?
My most frightened moment was when I heard about Trump being counseled by a foreign policy advisor. During the hour-long briefing Trump asked three times about the use of nuclear weapons. He asked “If we have them, why can't we use them?” Absolutely frightening. (And frankly, a ten year old can answer that question.)
Donald Trump denies the story, but that doesn't sound very credible, and that's his own fault; Trump has lied so many times before and denied having said so many things that were recorded on video.
OK, so you may remain sceptical because no source was named. Then read on.
In an interview on Fox News the following exchange took place:
Trump: “It's not like, gee whiz, nobody has them. So, North Korea has nukes. Japan has a problem with that. I mean, they have a big problem with that. Maybe they would in fact be better off if they defend themselves from North Korea.”
Chris Wallace: “With nukes?”
Trump: “Including with nukes, yes, including with nukes.”
So while everybody in the world want to get rid of nuclear weapons, Trump is in favor of nuclear proliferation. Of course, once again he denied having said this . It's on video , Donald!
Then, in an MSNBC Town Hall moderated by Chris Matthews this was heard:
Matthews: […]Your most controversial suggestion was don't take nuclear weapons — I mean, you may have been hooked into this by [inaudible].
Trump: Don't take what?
Matthews: Nuclear weapons off the table. I have been trying to think of how we could conceivably use a nuclear weapon in the Middle East or in Europe in fighting ISIS. Where can you — and why put it on the table or leave it on the table if you can't imagine where to use it?
Trump: Well, I didn't say, “Don't take it.” I said I would be very, very slow and hesitant to pull that trigger.
Matthews: Well, why would you — why wouldn't you just say, “I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to talk about nuclear weapons. Presidents don't talk about use of nuclear weapons…?
Trump: The question was asked — we were talking about NATO — which, by the way, I say is obsolete and we pay a dispropor…
Matthews: But you got hooked into something you shouldn't 've talked about.
Trump: I don't think I — well, someday, maybe.
Matthews: When? Maybe?
Trump: Of course. If somebody…
Matthews: Where would we drop — where would we drop a nuclear weapon in the Middle East?
Trump: Let me explain. Let me explain. Somebody hits us within ISIS, you wouldn't fight back with a nuke?
Matthews: No.To drop a nuclear weapon on a community of people that are…
Trump: No, no, but you can't say — first of all, you don't want to say, “Take everything off the table…”
Matthews: No, just nuclear.
Trump: …because you'd be a bad negotiator if you do that.
Matthews: Just nuclear.
Trump: Look, nuclear should be off the table. But would there be a time when it could be used, possibly, possibly?
Matthews: OK. The trouble is, when you said that, the whole world heard it. David Cameron in Britain heard it. The Japanese, where we bombed them in '45, heard it. They're hearing a guy running for president of the United States talking of maybe using nuclear weapons. Nobody wants to hear that about an American president.
Trump: Then why are we making them? Why do we make them? […]
Matthews: Because of the old mutual assured destruction, which Reagan hated and tried to get rid of.
Trump: [inaudible] I was against Iraq. I'd be the last one to use the nuclear weapon.
Matthews: So can you take it off the table now?
Trump: Because that's sort of like the end of the ball game.
Matthews: Can you tell the Middle East we're not using a nuclear weapon on anybody?
Trump: I would never say that. I would never take any of my cards off the table.
Matthews: How about Europe? We won't use it in Europe?
Trump: I — I'm not going to take it off the table.
Matthews: You might use it in Europe?
(Laughter)
Trump: No, I don't think so. But I'm not taking…
Matthews: Well, just say it. “I will never use a nuclear weapon in Europe.”
Trump: I am not — I am not taking cards off the table.
(from the official MSNBC transcript)
So Trump says here that he's willing to use nuclear weapons in the Middle East and in Europe. As a president Trump would have his finger on the button. All the time.
Add to all this that in this video Donald Trump declares “I love war, in a certain way”. As a matter of fact, Trump loves violence in general. He admires people who commit mass shootings, saying they're “geniuses in a certain way”. He encourages his fans to beat up protesters, promising them he'll cover their legal fees. It's clear that Trump has a mental disorder (or even more than one) that makes him utterly unfit for the job of potus.
It gets even worse. In MSNBC's Morning Joe former Director of Central Intelligence and ex-National Security Agency Director Michael Hayden was asked the hypothetical question “how quickly nuclear weapons could be deployed if a president were to give approval.” Hayden answered that the system was designed for speed and decisiveness, not for debate.
The question is not whether Trump as president will push the button, but how quickly he will do it. Tony Schwartz, Trump's ghostwriter for The art of the deal (and feeling remorse) says:
“I genuinely believe that if Trump wins and gets the nuclear codes there is an excellent possibility it will lead to the end of civilization.”
This from the person who, as his ghostwriter, followed Trump closely for a long time, and is probably the person who knows him best, apart from this family.
Trump: “Where I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters, okay?”