Many would say that Donald Trump should be the last person authorized to launch US nuclear weapons. In fact, he is the only person that is.
As shocking as it sounds, President Trump alone has the power to launch thousands of nuclear weapons — enough to end life on Earth as we know it. He does not have to consult anyone. He does not need the consent of military commanders, his Cabinet or Congress. He can pick up the phone and within 4 minutes send nuclear missiles flying across the world.
Together, we can change that. Two members of Congress, Rep. Ted Lieu and Sen. Ed Markey, have proposed urgent legislation to prevent the President from starting a nuclear war. The New York Times endorsed the legislation in a major editorial, writing that it "sends a clear message to Mr. Trump that he should not be the first since World War II to use nuclear weapons."
Ploughshares Fund has partnered with Global Zero, Daily Kos, the Union of Concerned Scientists, Win Without War, Women's Action for New Directions and several other groups on a new petition calling on Congress to support this important bill. We need your help now to make sure our voices are heard.
Sign the petition and call on Congress to keep us safe by making it illegal for President Trump, or any successor, to single-handedly start a nuclear war.
The new law would require Congress to declare war before the president could authorize nuclear strikes — except in response to a nuclear attack. In other words, it would block President Trump's ability to start nuclear war on a whim.
It is mind-boggling to think that the current system allows for one individual to unleash the most destructive weapons ever created by humankind. It is irrational, immoral and utterly unconscionable. Help us change this now.
Please, sign this important petition today.
"We the People" in an original version of the Constitution. Public domain
Tell Congress: Stop Trump from Starting a Nuclear War.
