Annie Jacobsen

How are you going to not have an absolute Armageddon-like Fuhrer with nuclear weapons in the air if people can't get on the phone during a ground war?

I hope that's true. I doubt it is. And let me tell you why. Most, and neither you nor I are political from what I gather, right? So I just write about POTUS, President of the United States. I don't, you have no idea what my politics are because they shouldn't matter. No one should be for nuclear war or no one should be for nuclear, you know, national insecurity.

I hope that's true. I doubt it is. And let me tell you why. Most, and neither you nor I are political from what I gather, right? So I just write about POTUS, President of the United States. I don't, you have no idea what my politics are because they shouldn't matter. No one should be for nuclear war or no one should be for nuclear, you know, national insecurity.

I hope that's true. I doubt it is. And let me tell you why. Most, and neither you nor I are political from what I gather, right? So I just write about POTUS, President of the United States. I don't, you have no idea what my politics are because they shouldn't matter. No one should be for nuclear war or no one should be for nuclear, you know, national insecurity.

Yes, you want to have a strong nation. But once you get into politics, then you're talking about sycophants. And the more a political leader becomes divisive, becomes polemic, the more his platform is predicated on hating the other side, either within his own country or

Yes, you want to have a strong nation. But once you get into politics, then you're talking about sycophants. And the more a political leader becomes divisive, becomes polemic, the more his platform is predicated on hating the other side, either within his own country or

Yes, you want to have a strong nation. But once you get into politics, then you're talking about sycophants. And the more a political leader becomes divisive, becomes polemic, the more his platform is predicated on hating the other side, either within his own country or

with alleged enemy nations, the more you surround yourself, as we see in the current day, with sycophants, with people who will tell you not only what they think you want to hear, but will help them to hold on to power. So you don't have wise decision makers. Long gone are the days where we had presidents who had advisors on both sides of the aisle. That's really important.

with alleged enemy nations, the more you surround yourself, as we see in the current day, with sycophants, with people who will tell you not only what they think you want to hear, but will help them to hold on to power. So you don't have wise decision makers. Long gone are the days where we had presidents who had advisors on both sides of the aisle. That's really important.

with alleged enemy nations, the more you surround yourself, as we see in the current day, with sycophants, with people who will tell you not only what they think you want to hear, but will help them to hold on to power. So you don't have wise decision makers. Long gone are the days where we had presidents who had advisors on both sides of the aisle. That's really important.

Because you want to have differing opinions. But as things become more viperous, both here in the United States and in nuclear-armed nations… All bets are off at whether your advisors are going to give you good advice.

Because you want to have differing opinions. But as things become more viperous, both here in the United States and in nuclear-armed nations… All bets are off at whether your advisors are going to give you good advice.

Because you want to have differing opinions. But as things become more viperous, both here in the United States and in nuclear-armed nations… All bets are off at whether your advisors are going to give you good advice.

Well, again, we're talking about that six-minute window. So it's not exactly like you can, let me put a pot of coffee on and really tell me what you think. And we can strategize here, right? You have your SECDEF and your chairman, maybe the vice chairman.

Well, again, we're talking about that six-minute window. So it's not exactly like you can, let me put a pot of coffee on and really tell me what you think. And we can strategize here, right? You have your SECDEF and your chairman, maybe the vice chairman.

Well, again, we're talking about that six-minute window. So it's not exactly like you can, let me put a pot of coffee on and really tell me what you think. And we can strategize here, right? You have your SECDEF and your chairman, maybe the vice chairman.

And, okay, we haven't even begun to talk about the fact that at the same time, these advisors also have a parallel concern, and that's called continuity of government. Okay? So while they're trying to advise on the nuclear counterstrike in response to the incoming nuclear missile, they have to be thinking, how are we going to keep the government functioning when...

And, okay, we haven't even begun to talk about the fact that at the same time, these advisors also have a parallel concern, and that's called continuity of government. Okay? So while they're trying to advise on the nuclear counterstrike in response to the incoming nuclear missile, they have to be thinking, how are we going to keep the government functioning when...

And, okay, we haven't even begun to talk about the fact that at the same time, these advisors also have a parallel concern, and that's called continuity of government. Okay? So while they're trying to advise on the nuclear counterstrike in response to the incoming nuclear missile, they have to be thinking, how are we going to keep the government functioning when...

The missiles start hitting when the bombs start going off. And that is about getting yourself out of the Pentagon, let's say, getting yourself to one of these nuclear bunkers that I write about at length in the book. So how much can you ask of a human, right? Because it comes down to a human. The Secretary of Defense is a human. And imagine that job while trying to advise the president.