The nuclear football is a briefcase that allows the president to authorize a nuclear strike and should always be in close proximity to the president.
During President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing last November, a US Secret Service agent reportedly tackled a Chinese security official after attempts to block the movement of the “nuclear football.”
The nuclear football, officially known as the “president’s emergency satchel,” is a black leather briefcase that allows the US president to authorize a nuclear strike while away from a command center. It is carried by a military aide and is supposed to be in close proximity to the president at all times.
But according to a report from Axios, when Trump met with President Xi Jinping in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, Chinese security blocked the entry of the aide carrying the nuclear football.
A US official quickly informed Trump’s Chief of Staff John Kelly who “rushed over” and told US officials, “We’re moving in.
