Did Trump Just Reject 60 Years Of American Policy On Nuclear Weapons?

GOP presidential Donald Trump appears to have rejected 60 years of America's stance on nuclear weapons at Monday night's presidential debate.

Debate moderator Lester Holt asked both candidates if they would revert to a "No First Use" stance on nuclear weapons, meaning that the United States would never be the first country to deploy nuclear weapons in a conflict. Trump's answer could be best described as nonsensical.

"I would like everybody to end it, just get rid of it," Trump replied. "But I would certainly not do first strike. I think that once the nuclear alternative happens, it’s over."

However, Trump then said that "we have to be prepared" and he "can’t take anything off the table."

As Josh Rogin pointed out in The Washington Post, this is a contradictory stance from Trump; there is no way that Trump as "president could have a policy that promises not to strike first with nuclear weapons and also keeps the option of a nuclear first strike on the table."

Rogin then quoted Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, as saying: "He wants to seem as if he would exercise restraint but he wants to project fear in our adversaries that he might use nuclear weapons. It reflects a lack of understanding that the commander in chief needs mastery of."

More importantly, the fact that Trump even suggested he would take a "No First Use" stance–a position that President Barack Obama is reportedly considering taking–would be a dramatic change in policy for the country, as the U.S. has never taken such a stance that the country's allies fear would undoubtedly embolden their enemies.

"There is no way that Trump as 'president could have a policy that promises not to strike first with nuclear weapons and also keeps the option of a nuclear first strike on the table.'"

Now that Trump has suggested it, Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu (CA) and Sen. Ed Markey (MA) have introduced a bill in Congress to prevent the president from ever launching a nuclear weapon without Congressional approval.

Trump suggesting such a radical change in U.S. policy and then going against it in the same sentence is yet another example of how ill-prepared he was at the debate. He would be wise to not let that mistake happen again.