There’s another war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — and this time it’s about who has a bigger nuclear button.
On Tuesday, Trump took to Twitter and boasted that he has a bigger and more powerful “nuclear button” than Kim’s. But this button does not exist.
The comments were in response to Kim’s New Year’s address, in which he threatened the U.S. and said he had a “nuclear button” on his office desk.
While it’s not known if Kim has a big red button on his desk — Trump certainly does not.
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If Trump were to launch a nuclear attack, there isn’t a physical nuclear button on his desk to do so. There’s a more detailed and complex process for launching a nuclear strike.
WATCH: What happens if President Trump pushes his (bigger) nuclear launch button?
However, it is ultimately up to the president to launch the missile.
Here’s how it works:
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1. President opens a ‘nuclear football’
The president will first open the “nuclear football.” This black briefcase is said to contain an outline of nuclear attack options and instructions for contacting U.S. military commanders around the world to give the order to launch missiles.
2. President has a conversation with top military officers
Although the president has the ultimate say when it comes to launching a nuclear attack, the president is supposed to discuss the attack options with military officers.
3. President makes a decision and the order is given
The decision to launch a nuclear attack may take mere seconds.
The senior officer in the Pentagon’s war room then reads a “challenge code” to verify the order is coming from the president (it’s usually two phonetic letters from the military alphabet). The president is then given a laminated card called “the biscuit” and finds the matching response to the challenge code. If it’s the correct response, the order passes down the chain of command.
4. Launch crews prepare to attack using keys
The war room will send a launch order to submarine, air and ground crews. This is an encrypted message with sealed authentication system (SA) and missile unlock codes.
If it’s a ground crew, the launch order goes to five teams spread across the U.S., each with two officers. Each squadron has around 50 missiles. At launch time, all crews simultaneously turn their launch keys to fire their missiles. Only two crews in each group must turn their keys in order for a missile to launch.
5. Missile is launched
Once the keys are turned, the missile is launched.
Little red button on Trump’s desk
Although Trump may not have a big button on his desk to launch a nuclear strike, there is a small one — and apparently, it’s for ordering soft drinks.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Trump was seen pushing the button while he talked with a reporter.
“With the push of a red button placed on the Resolute Desk that presidents have used for decades, a White House butler soon arrived with a Coke for the president,” AP said.
A Reuters article also described Trump sipping a Coke delivered by an aide after he ordered it by pressing a button on his desk.
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