An Expert Proposal: How to Limit Presidential authority to order the use of nuclear weapons

Posted: 11th January 2021

Editor’s note: Because of concern about President Trump’s access to US nuclear launch codes in the waning days of his administration, we are republishing this 2018 article by three noted nuclear weapons experts, one of whom, Steve Fetter, is a member of the Bulletin‘s Science and Security Board.

In the United States, the president has sole authority to order the use of nuclear weapons, for any reason and at any time. This arrangement is both risky and unnecessary.