But is he smart enough to avoid nuclear war?
The following are just a few boasts from President Donald Trump about his intellectual capacity: “Believe me, I’m much smarter than them,” “I know words. I know the best words,” “I’m speaking with myself because I have a good brain,” “I am perhaps the smartest person to ever run for the presidency,” “I am smarter than the generals.”
An opposing view of Trump’s smart brain came from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson after a meeting in July with national security leaders in which the nation’s nuclear arsenal was discussed. Trump weighed in on this discussion, and it was reported that this prompted Tillerson to call Trump a moron.
Whether Trump is a moron, or has a very smart brain, can be debated, but the fact is we have never been closer to nuclear war in our history. This is according to Gen. Michael Hayden, former CIA director, and former National Security Agency director. Sen. Bob Corker (R) also warned that Trump’s approach to foreign policy could put the United States on a path to World War III.
One thing we do know as a fact is that the system to launch a nuclear attack is designed to be implemented with minimal delay, and ordered by one man, the president of the United States.
A smart brain is not enough to get us out of this dire dilemma. It will take stability, and rational behavior. Is Trump up to the task? As a two-tour Vietnam veteran I worry about this.
Joseph J. Ohnstad
Bluffton
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This story was originally published November 8, 2017 at 6:00 AM with the headline "But is he smart enough to avoid nuclear war?."