The U.S. President Should Practice for a Nuclear Crisis

The U.S. President Should Practice for a Nuclear Crisis

The commander in chief gets almost no preparation for the ultimate decision. That needs to change.

A White House military aide and member of the US Navy carries a briefcase containing emergency nuclear weapon codes on the South Lawn of the White House, September 30, 2012. November 13, 2025, 12:13 PM Comment icon View Comments ( )

In A House of Dynamite , director Kathryn Bigelow’s new political thriller, the U.S. president faces the ultimate choice. A single intercontinental missile of unknown origin races toward the United States. Should the president (played by Idris Elba) order a nuclear strike against the United States’ rivals—who may have fired it—or wait until the missile possibly obliterates Chicago?

To help him