Only a few days into 2018 and President Trump tweeted that he has a nuclear
button on his desk, that is "much bigger" and "more powerful" than North Korea's.
Except, that nuclear button? It doesn't really exist.
Instead of a button, there are two physical objects key to initiating a
nuclear attack. They're called the "football" and the "biscuit".
You may already be familiar with the football - nope, not that kind of football.
It's more of a secure briefcase. A military officer at the President's
side at all times is tasked with carrying it. Inside is a menu of nuclear
options available to the President, including possible targets and
instructions for contacting US military commanders around the world.
Next, the President would be required to consult with military and civilian advisors.
In this case Trump would include Lieutenant General John L. Dolan and Commander of
U.S. Strategic Command, General John Hyten, but beyond a few required
advisors the President can actually include whoever else he wants.
The length of this conversation and the ultimate decision to launch is completely up to
the Commander-In-Chief. If the president decides to proceed, the biscuit comes
into play. A senior officer in the war room has to verify that this command is
actually coming from the President.
Safety first, right?
So the officer recites
a code and in turn the President responds with a code printed on the
biscuit, which is actually a card that the President carries at all times.
Once the command is confirmed, it is communicated to the military personnel who will
actually launch the attack.
Finally, launch crews execute the plan.
This basically involves unlocking various safes, entering a series of codes,
and turning keys to launch the missiles. The whole process is designed to be fast,
because if missiles are heading towards the United States ,they could land within
30 minutes.
In other words if the President chose to he could order a
nuclear strike in about the time it takes to write a tweet.