Trump and Tweety on nukes
by digby
Matthews asked Trump about his contradictory statements, in which he said he was concerned about the spread of nuclear weapons, but then said countries including Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia should be able to acquire them.
‘Look, nuclear should be off the table, but would there a time when it could be used? Possibly,’ Trump responded.
Matthews asked how the United States could ‘conceivably use a nuclear weapon in the Middle East or in Europe in fighting ISIS’ and Trump said he would be ‘very, very slow and hesitant to pull that trigger’.
Matthews then asked Trump where specifically Trump would drop a nuclear weapon.
‘I was against Iraq. I’d be the last one to use the nuclear weapon,’ Trump said. ‘[But] I would never take any of my cards off the table.’
Matthews asked if Trump would ever use nuclear weapons in Europe.
‘I’m not going to take it off the table,’ Trump responded. Even when asked a second time to clarify, Trump responded with the same phrase. ‘I am not — I am not taking cards off the table.’
He should have asked Trump if he would ever use nuclear weapons on the United States. I suspect he’d have gotten the same answer.
Update: check this out from Greg Sargent:
QUESTION: Are you comfortable with Donald Trump possibly having control of the nuclear arsenal?
McCAIN: [Silence, followed by unintelligible stammering.] Anyone that the people of this country choose to be the commander in chief and the President of the United States — therefore can lead this country, and will lead in a responsible fashion. Anyone who is elected president fairly in this country. And that’s the way that our democratic system works. That’s how our government works. The American people select the next president of the United States, knowing full well what the role of the commander in chief is. Therefore, I have the utmost respect for the verdict of the people.