What if Trump Ordered a Nuclear Strike on China? I’d Comply, Says Admiral - The New York Times
HONG KONG — The commander of the United States Pacific Fleet was asked a hypothetical question during a talk on Thursday in Australia: If President Trump ordered a nuclear strike on China, would he comply?
“The answer would be yes,” the commander, Adm. Scott H. Swift, replied.
Admiral Swift, who was speaking at Australian National University in Canberra, said his answer was a reflection of the principle of civilian control over the military.
“Every
member of the U.S. military has sworn an oath to defend the
Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and
domestic and to obey the officers and the president of the United States
as the commander in chief appointed over us,” he said.
Adm. Scott H. Swift, the
commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, aboard the aircraft
carrier Ronald Reagan in Brisbane, Australia, on Tuesday. He answered
questions at Australian National University in Canberra on Thursday.
Credit
Darren England/AAP, via Reuters
