Biden Quips About Nuclear Codes, Raising Eyebrows
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Biden made a joke while touring a manufacturing plant about his military aide having codes to launch nuclear weapons. The remark caused confusion and concern on social media.
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Presidents travel with a military aide carrying a "nuclear football" briefcase that contains items to authorize a nuclear attack.
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It's very unusual for presidents to acknowledge the existence of the nuclear football publicly.
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Some critics questioned whether Biden should be in charge of nuclear codes given his age and occasional verbal gaffes.
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The U.S. is estimated to have around 4,000 nuclear weapons that the president has unique authority to order the use of if deemed necessary.