August 04, 2016
Nuclear Weapons Aren’t Just For the Worst Case Scenario
Recent reports suggest that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump insistently asked an anonymous foreign-policy expert why the United States should not use nuclear weapons more readily. This has led to a chorus of voices decrying the way in which Trump is reported to have spoken about the nuclear option, with many insisting the United States should only ever employ nuclear weapons in retaliation after an opponent has used them first.
It is certainly right that such terrible weapons should only be used in extreme circumstances (a point of view Trump appears to have expressed earlier this year), but the conventional wisdom is wrong in suggesting the United States should under no circumstances be the first to use nuclear arms.
To read the full article, visit the Foreign Policy website.
More from CNAS
-
CNAS Insights | The Golden Dome Needs a Strategy
CNAS Insights
Join us for the CNAS 2026 National Security Conference: New Rules, on Thursday, June 11!...
By Kalena Blake
-
Sec. Pete Hegseth Criticized over D-Day Immigration Speech
Video
Becca Wasser joined CNN This Morning to discuss the speech given by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to European allies on the anniversary of D-Day. "That moment was not for ...
By Becca Wasser
-
Podcast
Defense / Technology & National Security
AI on the Battlefield: Project Maven and the Future of War with Jack ShanahanProject Maven stands as one of the earliest and most consequential efforts to bring AI into military operations. This week, Elisa sits down with Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, former...
By Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan
-
Secretary Rubio Testifies to Congress on Iran
Video
Becca Wasser, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, joined BBC News to discuss Secretary of State Marco Rubio's testimony to Congress on Iran. Watc...
By Becca Wasser
