title:  Donald Trump Just Gutted The Agency That Maintains Our Nuclear Arsenal
text: The nation s nuclear arsenal is going to be even more difficult to maintain because Donald Trump just ordered the top people at the National Nuclear Security Administration to resign immediately.Donald Trump has previously claimed that he wants to ignite a nuclear arms race and expand America s nuclear arsenal, but it looks like he s only interested in making America less safe.The National Nuclear Security Administration is charged with keeping America s nuclear weapons up to date and ready to go so that if we ever need to use them they ll be in working order.The NNSA presents a budget to Congress every year and asks for money to do their jobs. But if Trump has his way, the NNSA will not be able to do these things.In the past, presidential appointees to posts like the NNSA have traditionally been held until after the new president appoints and the Senate confirms their replacement. Such a tradition ensures that the government is still working even during a transition of power.But according to Gizmodo,Trump, however, appears determined to immediately push out everyone who was appointed by Obama, regardless of whether or not he has anyone in line for the job. Or, as our source put it:  It s a shocking disregard for process and continuity of government. Just as with Obama s soon-to-be-removed international envoys, Trump has ordered Under Secretary for Nuclear Security Frank Klotz and his deputy, Madelyn Creedon both Obama appointees to leave their posts, even if it means no one is in charge of maintaining the country s nuclear weapons. According to our Energy Department source, Trump s team has yet to nominate anyone to succeed them. Since both positions require Senate confirmation, if could be months before their chairs are filled. And the vacancies may extend beyond the leadership roles.And because Klotz and Creedon are the only ones in the NNSA who can present a budget to Congress, it means the agency could end up without leadership and funding to do what it is supposed to do until Trump and the Senate do their jobs, and that could take months.An Energy Department source told Gizmodo that,  I m more and more coming around to the idea that we re so very very fucked. Donald Trump is putting our nation at risk by not observing the transition traditions that keep the government working efficiently and smoothly. He is apparently obsessed with ousting anyone who disagrees with him and anyone who was hired during the Obama Administration. But Republicans should remember that if they allow Trump to do this, they have no right to whine when Democrats do the exact same thing to conservatives in four years. Because then we ll see what taking out the trash really looks like.The fact that Trump is literally willing to weaken the effectiveness of our government and endanger our national security with his pettiness is frightening. The only person who is probably happy about this news is Vladimir Putin. Once again, Trump is a useful idiot to Russia.Featured Image: Pixabay