Pentagon to house 'nuclear football' in leased Trump Tower apartment letter

[Equinox Moon]

Source: The Guardian

May 6, 2017 (Saturday)
The Pentagon is finalizing a lease on a privately owned apartment in Trump Tower for the use of the White House Military Office, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

The Military Office carries and safeguards the football, the device that contains the top secret launch codes the president needs to order a nuclear attack, as well as providing secure communications wherever the president is.

The New York City lease will not provide any benefit to Trump or his organization, the letter says.

The White House, Secret Service, and defense department had no comment on whether similar arrangements had been made at other properties Trump frequents Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where Trump was spending this weekend.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/06/pentagon-nuclear-football-trump-tower-apartment

---

The executive branch of our government is being privatized. This is what it looks and feels like.
You know... that sick feeling in the pit of your gut.

[Bradical79]

1. Hos does it not provide benefit to Trump?

We're paying money to his company to use space in his building.

[Equinox Moon]

2. Oh... you know... it is that loop-hole called "alternative fact"

[DK504]

21. Emoluments Clause?

We don't need no Emoluments Clause.

Yes, a very deep knot in the pit of my stomach. FUCK!!!!!!!!!

[elleng]

16. Apparently the 'benefit' is to the owner of the apartment,

via a lease. trump is not the owner, it seems.

[NYC Liberal]

23. Also it is common for the Secret Service (or whatever agency) to pay the market rate rent

if they need to use property owned by their protectee. They paid rent to Biden to use the guest house on his property in Delaware IIRC.

Not that Trump isn't profiting in other unethical ways.

[Bayard]

3. I understoon "the football" was to be carried physically on the prez's person at all times

That was on Rachel's show I think? So maybe this is kind of a good thing. At the same time--my god! I hope they'll have military a mile deep around this room.

[jmowreader]

8. It's not carried on the president's person

A military officer - rank no lower than Major in the land services or Lieutenant Commander in the sea services - carries it.

[MicaelS]

9. All POTUS carries is a code card.

The actual football, which is a satchel containing code books, and a communications device, is carried by a field-grade officer (Major, Lt. Colonel or Colonel), and is supposed to be within the immediate vicinity of POTUS.

[yurbud]

15. It would be a good thing if it got lost somewhere he couldn't find it.

[eggplant]

4. It sounds like they are subletting someone's apartment, not renting from Trump.

[Equinox Moon]

5. Quite vacationing! and stay in the WH where everything is all set up for a presidency.

[BarbD]

6. Is there a nuclear football on Air Force One?

Just how many copies of this nuclear football are there? Who monitors the copies? This gets scarier by the minute.

[Equinox Moon]

7. I wonder the status of the bill proposed, to take away the president's

ability of making a first strike with a nuclear weapon. If the bill passes, first strike would have to be approved by congress.

Welcome to DU

[jmowreader]

11. There's only one

It has to stay very close to Trump, so it makes sense the Defense Department would need a facility in Trump's building to keep the football carriers in.

However, I'm getting more than a little peeved at how much money this asshole is making from his term in office.

[former9thward]

17. There are two and I have seen one of them.

When I was in the Air Force the CIC of the Strategic Air Command had the nuclear football. I was briefing General John Chain, who was the SAC CIC, on a matter and there was a light bird with the football standing about 10 feet away.

When we played war games we always assumed the President was killed almost immediately or rendered unable to communicate with the military. So we always assumed in the games that the SAC CIC would command the outcome of the war.

Since I was in SAC has been replaced with the Air Force Global Strike Command. The four star who heads up that has the football now.

[mercuryblues]

10. wait a New York minute

has trump even spent 1 night since Jan 20, at trump tower? Why are my tax dollars being spent to house the SS and NF in a place trump never goes?

[chowder66]

12. Wow doesn't this put a huge target on that building?

[former9thward]

18. The White House would be a far bigger target.

The football has to be close to the CIC at all times. It doesn't matter whether that is the WH, Trump Tower, or someplace in Florida. Trump so far has spend very little time, if any, at Trump Tower. So the football is not there if he is not there.

[old guy]

13. I find it difficult to feel outrage anymore.

There is nothing we can do about most of this so we will have to pick our spots. Just another example of elections having consequences.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. Why the fuck is this even in the news?

IMHO something like that should either be classified or perhaps it was put out there for disinformation. Either way I don't ever recall multiple articles during the terms of any previous Presidents, that discussed a location for that.

[packman]

20. Christ, that was my first thought

Now everyone knows there is a room with "THE" football in it. Sounds dum as shit to me to reveal that.

[Equinox Moon]

24. Is that YOUR reading cat?

Ha!

[MicaelS]

22. Chill out.

It is common knowledge that the Football must be only a very short distance away from POTUS at all times. This is no big secret.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_football

[BumRushDaShow]

25. I don't need to fucking "chill out"

The issue is the consistent and persistent lack of the acceptance of the criticality of everything associated with the position of the Office of the President by the current occupant and his wayward staff, and this just underscores it. The "must be a short distance away" means the PERSON (military) who travels with the President who would be carrying it. THAT does not relate to this story about a lease in a specific place (private residence) in Trump Tower, the building of which he hasn't returned to since the inauguration. And especially knowing that the Russian mob leases in there too.

[benld74]

19. 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡