According to former security official Miles Taylor’s new book, top US officials privately worried about a nuclear war with North Korea in Trump’s early presidency.
In his July 18 book Blowback: A Warning to Rescue Democracy from the Next Trump, Taylor, Nielsen’s chief of staff, makes this claim.
Taylor’s book examines Trump’s 2017 “fire and fury” threat to North Korea.
Taylor describes the sensitivity surrounding nuclear weapons issues in the national security realm, emphasizing the need for careful planning and scripting.
However, he highlights the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s statements, stating that Trump’s rhetoric seemed to welcome a nuclear conflict, which deeply troubled officials.
Taylor recounts how the Department of Homeland Security convened its top leaders to discuss the escalating crisis.
Experts presented various scenarios of a potential nuclear strike on U.S. soil, dusted off response plans, and outlined grim best-case scenarios.
Taylor shares that he walked out of those meetings genuinely concerned about the safety of the country, as he believed the department was unprepared for the type of nuclear conflict that Trump might instigate.
Former Official’s Book Sheds Light on Worries of Trump Initiating a War and Internal Resistance
Speaking to Politico about the allegations, Taylor expressed that these conversations marked the first time that the Department of Homeland Security seriously considered the possibility, however remote, of Trump initiating a war and the subsequent need to prepare for the potential nuclear fallout in the United States.
Taylor first gained public attention anonymously in 2018 when he penned an op-ed for The New York Times titled “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration.” In the piece, he claimed that many senior White House officials worked secretly to counteract the president’s “misguided impulses” and prevent his worst inclinations from coming to fruition.
Taylor’s revelations shed light on the challenges faced by officials who were concerned about Trump’s decision-making process, his tendency to veer off-topic during meetings, and his impulsive decision-making that often required damage control.
The op-ed further hinted that some cabinet members contemplated invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office but ultimately decided against it to avoid a constitutional crisis.
While the book provides a behind-the-scenes look at the concerns within the Trump administration, it also suggests that there were individuals working to steer the administration in the right direction, even when the president’s actions and decisions were a cause for concern.
Source: People
