# Nuclear war? It's less likely with Trump **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 26, 2016, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-war-its-less-likely-with-trump/773016 "2016-11-26T05:26:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-war-its-less-likely-with-trump/773016/21 "2016-11-28T03:14:06Z")
Many people speculated that there might be a terrorist attack in America right before the election. If the DEFCON level was raised and lowered (which hasn’t been established) I would speculate it was due to Election Day itself rather than which candidate won. ---
**Author:** ![waddlingeagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4da419/32.png) [@waddlingeagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waddlingeagle)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-war-its-less-likely-with-trump/773016/22 "2016-11-28T03:48:34Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > He advocated using nuclear weapons in response to _any_ ISIS related attack in the US. Prove it. None of the links supplied so far say anything of the kind. ---
**Author:** ![waddlingeagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4da419/32.png) [@waddlingeagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waddlingeagle)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-war-its-less-likely-with-trump/773016/23 "2016-11-28T04:00:26Z")
Most military analysts I have read (and I read a LOT of them) have said that a full scale nuclear exchange between Russia and the United States is the least likely of all nuclear scenarios. The next nuclear war will almost certainly be between smaller nuclear powers, perhaps in the Middle East or in Asia. There are possible deterrents for this – and there are arguments that actually favor nuclear proliferation. First of all, absolute abolition of nuclear weapons is impossible. Someone will always cheat, as North Korea, Russia, and probably Iran are doing today. If _everybody_ had nukes, but there was a worldwide treaty that anyone who actually used them would suffer a full-scale response from all the other nations, that might be more of a deterrent than simply depending on the goodwill and honesty of rogue states. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-war-its-less-likely-with-trump/773016/24 "2016-11-28T04:05:20Z")
> [@waddlingeagle](#): > > Prove it. None of the links supplied so far say anything of the kind. [Quote.] ([http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/donald-trump-nuclear-weapons-226639](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/donald-trump-nuclear-weapons-226639)) > [@](#): > > During a March appearance on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” Trump demurred when the show’s host, Chris Matthews, pressed him to rule out nuclear strikes. > > “Can you tell the Middle East we’re not going to use a nuclear weapon on anybody?” Matthews asked. > > “I would never say that. I would never take any of my cards off the table,” Trump replied. “Look, nuclear should be off the table. But would there be a time when it could be used? Possibly, possibly.” > > When asked a similar question about Europe on Fox News the next day, Trump replied: “Europe is a big place. I’m not going to take cards off the table.” > > Trump also seemed to tell Matthews that he might retaliate against an attack by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, with a nuclear bomb. > > “Somebody hits us within ISIS, you wouldn’t fight back with a nuke?” Trump asked. ---
**Author:** ![waddlingeagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4da419/32.png) [@waddlingeagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waddlingeagle)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-war-its-less-likely-with-trump/773016/25 "2016-11-28T14:08:01Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [Quote.] > ([http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/donald-trump-nuclear-weapons-226639](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/donald-trump-nuclear-weapons-226639)) Show me the proof that Trump said we should use nukes in response to _any_ ISIS attack. As for the rest – the whole point of our having nukes is that we might use them. This has been US policy since Truman. Trump refused to endorse a no first use policy, just as Obama has. There are good reasons for this, not the least of them being that nuclear weapons are pretty much the only response we have to nuclear, chemical, and biological attack as well as a military blitz of, say, the South China Sea or a nuclear attack on NATO allies. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-war-its-less-likely-with-trump/773016/26 "2016-11-28T14:25:07Z")
> [@waddlingeagle](#): > > Most military analysts I have read (and I read a LOT of them) have said that a full scale nuclear exchange between Russia and the United States is the least likely of all nuclear scenarios. The next nuclear war will almost certainly be between smaller nuclear powers, perhaps in the Middle East or in Asia. > > There are possible deterrents for this – and there are arguments that actually favor nuclear proliferation. First of all, absolute abolition of nuclear weapons is impossible. Someone will always cheat, as North Korea, Russia, and probably Iran are doing today. > > If _everybody_ had nukes, but there was a worldwide treaty that anyone who actually used them would suffer a full-scale response from all the other nations, that might be more of a deterrent than simply depending on the goodwill and honesty of rogue states. :rolleyes: Those evil, darkies don’t have the same will to live and not die in a nuclear fire as we do. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-war-its-less-likely-with-trump/773016/27 "2016-11-28T15:55:09Z")
> [@waddlingeagle](#): > > [snip] … Someone will always cheat, as North Korea, Russia, and probably Iran are doing today … [snip] I think Russia is allowed to have nukes right now … ---
**Author:** ![Clif001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Clif001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clif001)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-war-its-less-likely-with-trump/773016/28 "2016-11-28T17:25:34Z")
In today’s world, it’s seldom one finds a non-partisan purveyor of information. I used to count you as one of the few among [Snopes.com](http://Snopes.com) and [FactCheck.org](http://FactCheck.org). At least I thought “The Straight Dope” was one of those until I read Friday’s column (catching up from the long weekend). Since it’s obvious that your opinion of Mr. Trump is so negative, I can no longer accept that your “straight dope” is all that straight. \I’m sure my announcement that I will no longer be reading your daily Question, and will drop you as a bookmark will keep you up at nights.\ Be that as it may, I am taking a stand for integrity and honesty in media. Thanks for the entertainment, I just wish I knew which stories were true and which you embellished with your bias. ---
**Author:** ![waddlingeagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4da419/32.png) [@waddlingeagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waddlingeagle)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-war-its-less-likely-with-trump/773016/29 "2016-11-28T21:52:06Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > I think Russia is allowed to have nukes right now … Dissembling. Russia is cheating on its nuclear arms limitation agreements. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-war-its-less-likely-with-trump/773016/30 "2016-12-02T22:25:01Z")
> [@Clif001](#): > > In today’s world, it’s seldom one finds a non-partisan purveyor of information. I used to count you as one of the few among [Snopes.com](http://Snopes.com) and [FactCheck.org](http://FactCheck.org). > > At least I thought “The Straight Dope” was one of those until I read Friday’s column (catching up from the long weekend). Since it’s obvious that your opinion of Mr. Trump is so negative, I can no longer accept that your “straight dope” is all that straight. > > \I’m sure my announcement that I will no longer be reading your daily Question, and will drop you as a bookmark will keep you up at nights.\ Be that as it may, I am taking a stand for integrity and honesty in media. > > Thanks for the entertainment, I just wish I knew which stories were true and which you embellished with your bias. Oh, what’s this? A person who is skeptical and dedicated to fighting ignorance has a negative opinion of a presidential candidate who had 560 unique and substantial lies on the campaign trail? Yes, it is _totally_ an example of harsh partisan bias to point out one’s dislike for the single most hated, dishonest, and unqualified presidential nominee _ever_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-war-its-less-likely-with-trump/773016.md?page=1)