They take Grandpa’s car keys, but he still has the codes to the nuclear weapon.
If you’re in the same room as the President of the United States, look for a military man carrying a “football.” This sports euphemism refers to a briefcase carried by one of the President’s military aides and must remain within reach of the Commander in Chief at all times. This briefcase doesn’t have a big red button, but it does contain the tools the President needs to launch a nuclear attack, communicate with the Pentagon and the Situation Room, and other top-secret assets.
In other words, the entire U.S. command and control system is predicated on a commander in chief who can take command at any time of the day or night.
President Joe Biden’s regrettable infirmity, which only a few weeks ago was still dismissed as a right-wing conspiracy theory, is now public knowledge: Most Americans can see for themselves that the president is too old and infirm to fulfill his duties.
Our enemies know, too, that America’s commander in chief, if indeed he was steering the ship of our nation, is no longer at the helm. Suddenly, events like the Secretary of Defense disappearing for days earlier this year make a lot more sense. Why contact a boss who has apparently disappeared?
Fortunately, America’s chain of command remains intact. As has been widely reported about Biden, the U.S. military has the discipline and resolve to weather the absence of a leader who is exhausting after 4 p.m. But our enemies are sniffing weakness at the top of the chain of command. Will they act in the final five and a half months of a very lame-duck president’s term?
The command and control crisis comes as the United States is weathering a perilous period after two major US events in just a week’s time: the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and Biden’s surprise announcement on Sunday that he would not run for president, both of which could have major implications for the country’s future.
Trump’s young assassin came very close to changing the election and the country. It’s not hard to imagine what would have happened if Trump hadn’t looked at the immigration charts. 110 years ago, on another warm summer day, a young, lean assassin named Gavrilo Princip shot his target, sparking World War I.
Fortunately, Rep. Thomas Matthew Crooks missed the mark, but the attacks on Trump are still having a major impact, with lawmakers on the left, right and center demanding explanations.
Another major event this summer was the incumbent president stepping down from his campaign through Mr. X. Taken together, these eight days could have turned out very differently. This year’s election could have left America without a leading candidate, leaving it with its toughest internal conflicts. This is the kind of trigger crisis that Neil Howe wrote about in his seminal 2023 book, The Fourth Turning Point. Howe explains that such crises often bring about major changes in the course of history.
And what would America’s enemies do in such a scenario? Again, history offers some clues. By the 5th century, the Roman Empire was weak and suffering from internal strife, economic instability, and a succession of incompetent emperors. With the Roman government distracted by corruption and power struggles, the Visigoths, led by King Alaric, sacked Rome in 410 AD.
According to this guideline, the remaining five and a half months of President Biden’s term are likely to be the most dangerous in recent U.S. history.
Morgan Murphy is a former Pentagon spokesman, National Security Advisor to the U.S. Senate, and Afghanistan veteran.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
As an independent, nonpartisan news service, all content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation is available free of charge to any legitimate news publisher with a large readership. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and affiliation with the DCNF. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
