Overview
- Retired CIA analyst Larry Johnson floated the story on Judging Freedom, citing an unspecified report about a White House meeting on Saturday, April 18.
- Lead Stories found no verified reports of any attempt to access the codes or a rebuff by General Dan Caine, and Newsweek reported no independent corroboration.
- Johnson later wrote on his blog that he has no confirmation the report is verified.
- A White House spokesperson called the claim false, while outlets like the Mirror US and Metro repeated the allegation and Townhall underscored Newsweek’s inability to confirm it.
- Under U.S. procedure the president alone can order nuclear use, using a briefcase known as the nuclear football and an ID card called the biscuit to authenticate the order.