Annie Jacobsen

with the ability to launch nuclear war in that six-minute window all the time, okay? That is also called the football. And it's always with the president. To report this part of the book, I interviewed a lot of people in the Secret Service that are with the president and talk about this. And the director of the Secret Service, a guy called Lou Merletti, told me a story that I just...

with the ability to launch nuclear war in that six-minute window all the time, okay? That is also called the football. And it's always with the president. To report this part of the book, I interviewed a lot of people in the Secret Service that are with the president and talk about this. And the director of the Secret Service, a guy called Lou Merletti, told me a story that I just...

with the ability to launch nuclear war in that six-minute window all the time, okay? That is also called the football. And it's always with the president. To report this part of the book, I interviewed a lot of people in the Secret Service that are with the president and talk about this. And the director of the Secret Service, a guy called Lou Merletti, told me a story that I just...

really found fascinating. He was also in charge of the president's detail, President Clinton this was, before he was director of the Secret Service. And he told me the story about how, he said, the football is with the president at all times, period, okay? They were traveling to Syria, and Clinton was meeting with President Assad. And they got into an elevator,

really found fascinating. He was also in charge of the president's detail, President Clinton this was, before he was director of the Secret Service. And he told me the story about how, he said, the football is with the president at all times, period, okay? They were traveling to Syria, and Clinton was meeting with President Assad. And they got into an elevator,

really found fascinating. He was also in charge of the president's detail, President Clinton this was, before he was director of the Secret Service. And he told me the story about how, he said, the football is with the president at all times, period, okay? They were traveling to Syria, and Clinton was meeting with President Assad. And they got into an elevator,

Clinton and the Secret Service team, and one of Assad's guys was like, no, you know, like about the mill aid. And Lew said it was like a standoff because there was no way they were not going to have the president with his football in an elevator. And it kind of sums up, for me anyways— you realize what goes into every single one of these decisions.

Clinton and the Secret Service team, and one of Assad's guys was like, no, you know, like about the mill aid. And Lew said it was like a standoff because there was no way they were not going to have the president with his football in an elevator. And it kind of sums up, for me anyways— you realize what goes into every single one of these decisions.

Clinton and the Secret Service team, and one of Assad's guys was like, no, you know, like about the mill aid. And Lew said it was like a standoff because there was no way they were not going to have the president with his football in an elevator. And it kind of sums up, for me anyways— you realize what goes into every single one of these decisions.

You realize the massive system of systems behind every item you might just see in passing and glancing on the news as you see the mill aid carrying that satchel. Well, What's in that satchel? I really dug into that to report this book.

You realize the massive system of systems behind every item you might just see in passing and glancing on the news as you see the mill aid carrying that satchel. Well, What's in that satchel? I really dug into that to report this book.

You realize the massive system of systems behind every item you might just see in passing and glancing on the news as you see the mill aid carrying that satchel. Well, What's in that satchel? I really dug into that to report this book.

Okay, so, well, okay, first of all, that is, you know, people always say, it's incredibly classified. I mean, people talk about UFOs. It's incredibly, I mean, come on, guys. That is nothing burger, right? You want to know what's really classified? What's in that football, right? What's in that satchel? But the PEDE, Presidential Emergency Action Directives, right, those have never been leaked.

Okay, so, well, okay, first of all, that is, you know, people always say, it's incredibly classified. I mean, people talk about UFOs. It's incredibly, I mean, come on, guys. That is nothing burger, right? You want to know what's really classified? What's in that football, right? What's in that satchel? But the PEDE, Presidential Emergency Action Directives, right, those have never been leaked.

Okay, so, well, okay, first of all, that is, you know, people always say, it's incredibly classified. I mean, people talk about UFOs. It's incredibly, I mean, come on, guys. That is nothing burger, right? You want to know what's really classified? What's in that football, right? What's in that satchel? But the PEDE, Presidential Emergency Action Directives, right, those have never been leaked.

No one knows what they are. What we do know from one of the mill aides who spoke on the record, a guy called Buzz Patterson, he describes the president's orders, right? So if a nuclear war has begun, if the president has been told there are nuclear missiles, one or more, coming at the United States, you have to launch it. in a counterattack, right? The red clock is ticking.

No one knows what they are. What we do know from one of the mill aides who spoke on the record, a guy called Buzz Patterson, he describes the president's orders, right? So if a nuclear war has begun, if the president has been told there are nuclear missiles, one or more, coming at the United States, you have to launch it. in a counterattack, right? The red clock is ticking.

No one knows what they are. What we do know from one of the mill aides who spoke on the record, a guy called Buzz Patterson, he describes the president's orders, right? So if a nuclear war has begun, if the president has been told there are nuclear missiles, one or more, coming at the United States, you have to launch it. in a counterattack, right? The red clock is ticking.

You have to get the blue impact clock ticking. He needs to look at this list to decide what targets to strike and what weapon systems to use. And that is what is on, according to Buzz Patterson, a piece of sort of laminated plastic. He described it like a Denny's menu. And from that menu... The president chooses targets and chooses weapon systems.

You have to get the blue impact clock ticking. He needs to look at this list to decide what targets to strike and what weapon systems to use. And that is what is on, according to Buzz Patterson, a piece of sort of laminated plastic. He described it like a Denny's menu. And from that menu... The president chooses targets and chooses weapon systems.