But to get inside the nuclear football, the president has to prove he’s the president, which he does with a special code he’s required to carry on his person at all times. That’s called the “nuclear biscuit,” a weird metaphor for how past presidents had the codes written down on a card.
“Nuclear button” is purely wordplay then. Was Trump not paying attention during his nuclear debriefings? Or was he just being a blustery bully on Twitter? Probably a little bit of both.
Weighing in to zing President Trump for his nonsense: former Chief Official White House Photographer under President Obama, Pete Souza. He posted two images on his Instagram dating to the Age of Infinite Good Times (I.e., the Obama years) to chide Trump for taking nuclear war so lightly, as well as to drop some truth.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdeRaVpFXwo/
In other words, that’s the only “button” on the Oval Office desk. It brings forth a valet, not armageddon. (Also, it’s really, really tiny.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdeSrTOleqI/
That’s about the most high-end d*** joke of all time.