While there may be fears about Donald Trump leading the United States into nuclear war, at least one important person is standing in the way.
In an interview on Saturday, the top nuclear official in the United States said he was prepared to refuse any illegal nuclear strike order from Donald Trump. Air Force General John Hyten, who serves as the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, said that he has already considered what would happen if the president were to ask for a nuclear strike that would be against international law.
"And if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say, 'Mr. President, that's illegal.' And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' " Hyten said (via CBS News).
"And we'll come [with] up options, with a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works. It's not that complicated."
"I think some people think we're stupid," Hyten said. "We're not stupid people. We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?"
There has been some worry about Donald Trump using America's overwhelming nuclear weapon arsenal as a solution for the escalating situation in North Korea. Trump previously promised "fire and fury" in response to North Korea, a cryptic remarks that many believe referenced the potential of nuclear war.
Trump has also escalated a number of other conflicts, getting into spats with enemies and allies alike.
