How to hand over the presidential nuclear button suitcase during the inauguration of President-elect Biden – “Nuclear football” is a must-be considered question. U.S. media reports that the absence of current President Trump from Biden’s inauguration may complicate the handover of “nuclear football”.
John F. Kennedy (John F. Every U.S. president after Kennedy carried “nuclear football” when traveling, so that he could control the U.S. nuclear strike force away from the nuclear command, and “nuclear football” was carried by the officers who followed him.
According to the U.S. Business Insider news website on the 16th, current US President Trump has said many times that he may not attend President-elect Biden’s inauguration in January 2021. During the inauguration of the president-elect, traditionally, the officer responsible for carrying the previous president’s “nuclear football” will hand it over to the officer next to the new president.
In response, a Pentagon spokesman said that the Department of Defense currently has a plan to transfer “nuclear football” in this regard, but declined to provide further details.
Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Department of the American Federation of Scientists, told the media. Christensen speculated that the plan may be similar to the solution in emergencies such as the assassination of the president.
Upon the assassination of the President, nuclear command and control and all accompanying equipment are handed over to the Vice President or other designated survivors.
Nuclear strategist Stephen Schwartz predicted that if Trump was absent from Biden’s inauguration, he might hand over “nuclear football” to Biden’s military aides before the inauguration. It was not until Biden was sworn in that military aides began to follow Biden.
He also revealed that in fact, the United States has at least three “nuclear footballs”, which are managed by the president, the vice president and the designated survivors.
“We want President Trump to attend the ceremony, following decades of tradition.” Buzz Patterson, who once managed and carried the “nuclear football”, added, “if he does not do so, it will not be much affected. The U.S. military will ensure that the transfer goes smoothly.”
