In 1974, as Pres Nixon’s resignation became inevitable, his behaviors [FN1] escalated. Sec’y of Defense James Schlesinger warned military leaders if “Nixon issued a nuclear launch order” they “should check with him or Secretary of State Henry Kissinger before executing it.” [FN2] 1/10

Nixon was complex and, at times, mentally “off,” [FN3] but none of Nixon’s professors ever said Nixon was “the dumbest goddamn student I ever had.” [FN4] So here are reasons we should be scared about one of the nuclear arsenal and the launch codes always near POTUS. 2/10

1) trump is stupid. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK said he wouldn’t make the mistakes of European leaders that led to WW1: he’d just read Tuchman’s “The Guns of August,” winner of a Pulitzer. [FN5] trump doesn’t read & is condemned to repeat history. 3/10

2) trump is not surrounded by people who might stop him from giving orders to launch nukes. In that first term there were people who acted to corral his idiocy. Now his coterie consists of those who kiss his derriere & include people who believe Armageddon is a good thing. 4/10

3)The other two branches of government are compromised. The Roberts Six are so deep in the bag, Kavanaugh probably thinks “Teapot Dome” is an umbrella drink. Congress is being emptied of gop members scared of running for re-election. 5/10

4) Putin, who has been gifted higher oil prices thanks to trump’s invasion. Putin also is giving support into Iran. Besides, Putin has possession of something he created....
5) The EPSTEIN FILES. 6/10

There are reasons to hope. General officers in the armed forces (26 of them) (maybe) refused to follow orders that would further our illegal attacks on Iran. None of this is fun, unless you are a sociopath, or you’re a psychopath into body counts. Oh, and Happy Mithra Day. 7/10

Footnotes:
FN1. See, Woodward and Bernstein, “The Final Days,” (1976). Concerns were expressed over Nixon’s depression and his heavy drinking.
FN2. Tom Brokaw, “The Fall of Richard Nixon,” (2019), p. 184. 8/10

FN3. After a 1962 loss for governor of California, (a drunken) Nixon said, on TV: “Just think about how much you’re going to be missing: You won’t have Nixon to kick around any more, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference.” People’s Almanac, p. 323. 9/10

FN4. A Penn econ prof said trump was “the dumbest goddamn student I ever had.” Wolf, J.D., “Trump Shared a Fake Quote From Professor Who Actually Thought Trump Was ‘the Dumbest’ Student,” Meidas News, 5/8/24, accessed 4/5/25.
FN5. Tuchman describes, in detail, how leaders really ... messed up. 10/10