# US President has misplaced nuclear codes - contigency plans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290 "2016-11-17T21:55:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/1 "2016-11-17T21:55:24Z")
I was kind of surprised to read this: [Bill Clinton 'lost vital White House nuclear codes'](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8077326/Bill-Clinton-lost-vital-White-House-nuclear-codes.html) Without giving away any national secrets I assume there are some sort of contigency plans in place in case the president can’t access the authorisation codes for whatever reason? Would it be treated in the same manner as if the president had been killed or incapacitated and the authorisation pass to the next lowest level in the chain of command? There was a recent thread which mentioned that President Reagan’s code card was found inside his sock after he was being treated after an assassination attempt, if you ask me that’s a pretty good place to keep something as important as that! 🙂 Don’t need answer fast! ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/2 "2016-11-17T22:00:17Z")
It’s been reported/alleged that this [happened during Bill Clinton’s Presidency](http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/21/shelton.clinton.nuclear.codes/). ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/3 "2016-11-17T22:18:54Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > It’s been reported/alleged that this [happened during Bill Clinton’s Presidency](http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/21/shelton.clinton.nuclear.codes/). As recently as one post ago. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/4 "2016-11-17T22:37:22Z")
Just from SCR4s link, without checking the OP link, the problem was discovered during the routine replacement of the codes. Clearly there’s a method, if not a timely one, to replace the codes regularly. An acronym from my military time related to communication planning - PACE (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency.) It’s kind of a thing to assume any single method of communication can be jammed, blown up, lost, etc. For contingency planning I’d assume someone’s thought of the fact that an assassination attempt on the President may kill the President and/or code carrier. That attempt may involve the codes/football getting separated from the President. Not completely incompetent contingency planning would have a method to address that. Then there’s the whole issue of the kind of investigation this likely triggered. Think abducted by aliens and anally probed as a less onerous choice just based on the pain I’ve seen for far less critical issues.😃 Just because it happened once doesn’t mean the system is anything like it was then. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/5 "2016-11-17T22:47:43Z")
Supposedly this happened once under Bill Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/6 "2016-11-17T22:57:22Z")
> [@Wolf333](#): > > As recently as one post ago. The link I provided answers the OP’s question: it says new access codes were issued to the President immediately when it was determined that the old one was missing. It also describes a more strict monthly check to confirm an aide is always with the President carrying the codes. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/7 "2016-11-18T07:05:46Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Supposedly this happened once under Bill Clinton. Rumor says that it was for 20 minutes, and it happened on a plane that was trying to take off from a giant treadmill. ---
**Author:** ![Haldurson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/51bf81/32.png) [@Haldurson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haldurson)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/8 "2016-11-18T15:31:50Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > It’s been reported/alleged that this [happened during Bill Clinton’s Presidency](http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/21/shelton.clinton.nuclear.codes/). From that post: > [@](#): > > “The codes were actually missing for months. This is a big deal,” says Gen. Hugh Shelton. “We dodged a silver bullet.” The question that immediately comes to my mind is what made the general believe that President Clinton is a Werewolf? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/9 "2016-11-18T15:59:14Z")
> [@Haldurson](#): > > The question that immediately comes to my mind is what made the general believe that President Clinton is a Werewolf? Werewolf, horndog, it’s all pretty similar. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/10 "2016-11-18T16:01:10Z")
Can someone explain to me why the president needs codes to launch a nuclear attack? If the president of the United States wants to launch a nuclear attack, to whom does he need to verify his identity? It seems as pointless as asking for the president’s ID when he uses his credit card to pay for his burger at Five Guys. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/11 "2016-11-18T16:06:45Z")
“Mr President … Mr President … the Russians have launched thousands of thermo-nuclear missiles at us … where are the codes … _where are the codes_?” "I have them right here … ‘loaf of bread, gallon of milk and pick up some Ho-Hos for Chelsea – Hill’ … uh oh … that explains why that staffer said she couldn’t find any Minuteman II’s … " ETA: You’d think those junior officers at the bottom of the missile silos would have the codes too … but I’d be guessing about that ---
**Author:** ![Unpronounceable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@Unpronounceable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unpronounceable)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/12 "2016-11-18T18:23:39Z")
considering that, for decades, the codes were something like: 0000-0000-0000-0000 we should probably be grateful they bother to actually have real codes nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/13 "2016-11-18T18:30:38Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > “Mr President … Mr President … the Russians have launched thousands of thermo-nuclear missiles at us … where are the codes … _where are the codes_?” That’s actually the scenario I was envisaging, when seconds count you don’t want to have the President fumbling around trying to find his/her authorisation codes. What would happen in that situation? Thanks for the answers everyone! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/14 "2016-11-18T18:33:14Z")
> [@Wolf333](#): > > As recently as one post ago. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/15 "2016-11-18T18:38:49Z")
{King Roland has given in to Dark Helmet’s threats, and is telling him the combination to the “air shield”]} **Dark Helmet:** So the combination is… one, two, three, four, five? That’s the stupidest combination I’ve ever heard in my life! That’s the kind of thing an idiot would have on his luggage! {President Skroon enters} **President Skroob:** Did it work? Where’s the king? **Dark Helmet:** It worked, sir. We have the combination. **President Skroob:** Great. Now we can take every last breath of fresh air from Planet Druidia. What’s the combination? **Colonel Sandurz:** 1-2-3-4-5 **President Skroob:** 1-2-3-4-5? **Colonel Sandurz:** Yes! **President Skroob:** That’s amazing. I’ve got the same combination on my luggage. {Dark Helmet and Colonel Sandurz look at each other} ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/16 "2016-11-18T19:42:46Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Can someone explain to me why the president needs codes to launch a nuclear attack? If the president of the United States wants to launch a nuclear attack, to whom does he need to verify his identity? It seems as pointless as asking for the president’s ID when he uses his credit card to pay for his burger at Five Guys. I do a pretty good impression of Ronald Regan.😉 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/17 "2016-11-18T19:56:33Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > pick up some Ho-Hos You sure that wasn’t Bill’s shopping list? ---
**Author:** ![CharmaChameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@CharmaChameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CharmaChameleon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/18 "2016-11-18T20:08:05Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Can someone explain to me why the president needs codes to launch a nuclear attack? If the president of the United States wants to launch a nuclear attack, to whom does he need to verify his identity? It seems as pointless as asking for the president’s ID when he uses his credit card to pay for his burger at Five Guys. See [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear\_football](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_football), [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-man\_rule](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-man_rule), and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National\_Command\_Authority](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Command_Authority) for background information. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/19 "2016-11-19T07:33:57Z")
The story about Bill Clinton was that he didn’t lose the codes, he lost access to the codes, which was in the form of a a card containing a difficult to remember combination for a suitcase. This was just so that someone who would make a copy of the codes would have to get through the suitcase, and reveal that the the suitcase had been opened. I’t just a suitcase, you can get it into with a saw… or sledge hammer and chisel and many ways. The card was for the feeling of security… so that the pres could look in the suitcase and be familiar with what it is… ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290/20 "2016-11-20T10:59:34Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Can someone explain to me why the president needs codes to launch a nuclear attack? If the president of the United States wants to launch a nuclear attack, to whom does he need to verify his identity? It seems as pointless as asking for the president’s ID when he uses his credit card to pay for his burger at Five Guys. I presume it is to prevent the officer carrying the “football” from starting WWWIII on his or her own by calling the Pentagon and saying “hey, the boss said to launch.” Instead, he or she would need whatever codes are in the “football” plus those on the President’s pocket card when communicating a launch order. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-president-has-misplaced-nuclear-codes-contigency-plans/772290.md?page=2)