Trump's Response to North Korean Leader's 'Nuclear Button'

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, responded on Twitter on Tuesday evening to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who had claimed that he has a nuclear launch button on his desk. Trump stated, 'I also have a nuclear button on my desk, but mine is bigger and more powerful.' This message from Trump was a reply to part of Kim's New Year greeting message, which not only referred to having a nuclear button but also claimed that North Korean missiles can reach all parts of the United States. In a mocking tone, Trump wrote on Twitter, 'Can someone from the regime that is starving and waiting for food please inform him that I too have a nuclear button, but mine is bigger and more powerful than that button he has. Moreover, my button works (it's not just for show).' It is important to note that there is no button on the U.S. President's desk for launching a nuclear weapon. Launching a nuclear missile requires a special briefcase that is always carried by a military team wherever the President goes. Launching a nuclear weapon is not as simple as pressing a button; it requires specific codes that are contained in that briefcase. To launch a nuclear weapon, the U.S. President must identify himself to official Department of Defense officials using specific codes that are stored on cards always carried by the President. Then, using those codes, he can issue a launch order to senior officials at the Department of Defense and the Strategic Command. Kim Jong-un has shown signs of flexibility in the early days of the New Year. In his New Year message, Kim wished success for the Winter Olympics to be held in South Korea and even mentioned sending a delegation to negotiate the dispatch of a North Korean team to the Winter Olympics. This message was welcomed by South Korea, and the presidential office stated that they are pursuing the next steps for negotiations to welcome a North Korean team to the Winter Olympics. North Korea also reopened a special telephone line between North and South Korea on Wednesday. The South Korean Ministry of Unification announced that the line has been established, and North Korea had a 20-minute phone conversation with South Korea. The special telephone line allows both sides to communicate in sensitive situations or in the event of an incident, preventing any sudden actions. Recently, according to reports, two North Korean soldiers escaped from the heavily guarded military zone between the two Koreas and went to South Korea. In response to this news and North Korea's willingness to discuss sending a team to the Winter Olympics, Trump tweeted, 'Sanctions and other pressures are starting to show big effects on North Korea. Soldiers are dangerously defecting to South Korea. The Rocket Man is now going to talk to South Korea for the first time. Maybe this will be a good thing, maybe not – we will see!' 'Rocket Man' or 'Little Rocket Man' is a nickname Trump uses in his tweets to refer to Kim Jong-un.