title: WHAT? MATT LAUER ASKS OBAMA’S Former CIA Director If Trump’s Inner Circle Is Prepared To “Tackle” or “Lock Him In A Room” To Keep Trump From Using Nuclear Weapons [VIDEO]
text: NBC host Matt Lauer on Thursday asked former CIA Director John Brennan whether military officials surrounding President Donald Trump would  tackle him  before he engaged in a nuclear confrontation.Brennan replied that Trump has unilateral authority to authorize military action.Lauer asked Brennan hesitantly about reports surrounding America s procedure to deploy nuclear weapons under Trump, emphasizing the stories of  key players around the president  maybe locking Trump in a room or even tackling him to prevent the use of such weapons. I feel weird asking you this, but you ve read the same stories I ve read,  Lauer said to Brennan.  You know the key players around the president in [Jim] Mattis, [H.R.] McMaster, and John Kelly. Stories are going around out there that if the president inches closer to some kind of a nuclear confrontation with North Korea, that those guys are going to do something. They re going to lock him in a room. They re going to tackle him. Watch the incredible exchange here: You re smiling,  Lauer added.  But these are the stories that are out there. And they will prevent him from carrying out any action that would cause that. Is that all nonsense? No, I think the military leaders, current and former, Mattis, Kelly, also Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, they know the risks of escalation,  said Brennan, who served as CIA director during the Obama administration.  They know just how dangerous the situation is. I think they are governors on the president s instincts to continue to try to intimidate and bully. You re technically not answering the question. Would they take some action to prevent the president from carrying out an order?  Lauer asked. The president has unilateral authority to be able to authorize military action,  Brennan said.  That order goes through Secretary Mattis. Secretary Mattis can try to talk him out of it, disagree with it, carry it out, or not. After Brennan walked Lauer through the usual White House process of authorizing military actions, Lauer pushed his original question about tackling Trump, using a quote from Brennan. In July you said it is the obligation of some executive officials to refuse to carry out some of those orders that are inconsistent with what this country is all about,  Lauer quoted Brennan.Brennan clarified that he made that comment  in the context  of the firing of former FBI Director Jim Comey and the efforts to  delay and to put obstacles in some of the investigations that are underway. We are a country of laws,  Brennan added.  WFB 