Mattis Alarmed by Trump’s Nuclear Strike Potential, New Book Reveals

James Mattis, the former Defense Secretary, was profoundly concerned that former President Donald Trump might order a nuclear strike against North Korea. As a result, he slept in gym clothes to ensure he was prepared quickly and spent time praying for peace at the National Cathedral. These revelations are elaborated upon in journalist Bob Woodward's latest publication, "War," which has been met with public criticism from Trump.

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The book also emphasizes the substantial death threats that former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley received from Trump supporters in the aftermath of a public disagreement with the former president. Milley expressed concerns that Trump could recall him to active duty and charge him with treason if he were re-elected, a strategy that Woodward alleges Trump contemplated for other military leaders during his first term.

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Milley declared in a 2023 interview for the book that "No one has ever been as dangerous to this country as Donald Trump." The volume delves into the final years of Trump's presidency and the early years of Joe Biden's administration, with a particular emphasis on the concerns of military leaders regarding Trump's potential return to power.

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Steven Cheung, President Trump's communications director, dismissed Woodward's accounts as untrue and characterized the publication as the product of an individual experiencing "Trump Derangement Syndrome."

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Woodward also observes that Milley, despite receiving federal security since his retirement, invested in bulletproof glass and blast-proof draperies at his residence in response to threats associated with Trump supporters. The book describes numerous instances in which Trump allegedly attempted to deploy U.S. military forces domestically, thereby potentially violating federal law.

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Mattis, who served as the defense secretary from 2017 to 2019, considered Trump's unpredictable behavior to be a significant threat to national security.

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