Letter to Trump

This letter is being delivered to the White House on Jan 22, 2025, the 4th anniversary of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons entering into force. To sign, please go to the bottom of the letter:

January 22, 2025

Dear President Trump,

You have many problems to address as you enter the White House, but according to the assessment you gave to Sean Hannity on Dec. 3rd, “nuclear weapons are the biggest problem we have.”

Nuclear weapons are too big a risk

Your biggest problem includes the risk of an escalation to nuclear war at any moment in Europe, the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula, South Asia, or the South China Sea. It includes the ever-present risk of a full-scale nuclear exchange between the US and Russia that could be triggered by simple human or computer error, a cyberattack, miscalculation or misunderstanding on either side.

Mr. President, so long as these weapons remain in the arsenals of any country, there is a steadily increasing risk that they will be used. And despite decades of research and billions of dollars of investment, there is no guaranteed way to protect America from even a single incoming nuclear missile.

Nuclear weapons are ridiculously expensive

Nuclear weapons are also one of the most expensive items in the entire federal budget. As Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy pointed out in their November 20th article in the Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon is awash with cost overruns and failed audits. And one of the biggest expenditures within the Pentagon budget is for a whole new generation of nuclear weapons.

Of course, these costs are spread across a large number of line items, not only in the DOD budget but also in the DOE budget. Altogether, the current plan is to spend at least $1.7 trillion over the next 30 years to upgrade every element of the US nuclear weapons arsenal. It is likely to end up costing significantly more than that. This is all for weapons that we would be better off without and cannot even use.

Nuclear weapons cannot be used to win wars

Mr. President, you yourself asked the very important question during your first term: “Why do we have nuclear weapons if we can’t use them?” Well, the truth is, we can’t use them unless we want to risk an all-out nuclear war in which millions, if not billions, would die and no one would emerge victorious.

Even if nuclear weapons landed only on other countries, we here in the United States would still suffer the consequences. That’s because the radioactive debris from a nuclear blast rises into the upper atmosphere and can circulate the entire globe before coming down as radioactive fallout weeks or even months later. Even if winds did not carry the immediate fallout towards the US or our troops in other parts of the world, the long-term fallout would certainly affect us here.

And on top of the radioactive fallout, the soot rising up from smouldering cities and military facilities is likely to create freezing summertime temperatures in some of the key grain-growing regions of the world, including the Great Plains. This could lead to millions more Americans dying from starvation over subsequent years.

Nuclear weapons are a grave threat to national security

And despite what your national security experts may tell you, eliminating nuclear weapons would not damage the national security of the United States in any way. As you know very well, the United States has the most advanced, most powerful conventional (non-nuclear) armed forces in the world – by far.

None of our potential adversaries can come close to threatening the United States with their conventional forces. It is only their nuclear weapons that pose any threat at all to the United States. With nuclear weapons, even an extremely poor country like North Korea is capable of threatening the United States.

And the longer this problem goes unresolved, the more other countries are going to want nuclear weapons and are going to find a way to acquire them, making the United States increasingly more insecure as a result. With no nuclear weapons anywhere in the world, the United States would be significantly more secure than it is today.

Nuclear weapons are not an effective deterrent

Mr. President, the whole rationale for maintaining an arsenal of nuclear weapons is supposedly because they are the ultimate deterrent. And yet our possession of nuclear weapons clearly did not prevent the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Nor has Russia’s possession of nuclear weapons prevented the United States from arming and supporting Ukraine.

Since 1945, the US has fought wars in Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, Libya, Kosovo, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere. Possession of nuclear weapons did not “deter” any of those wars, nor indeed did possession of nuclear weapons ensure that the US won any of those wars.

Threats to use nuclear weapons are meaningless unless they are carried out. And they are never carried out for the very simple reason that to do so would be an act of suicide and what political leader would make that choice?

Nuclear weapons can be eliminated

The reality is that there is nothing technically standing in the way of eliminating all nuclear weapons from just nine countries that have them. Other weapons of mass destruction have been all but eliminated from the world’s arsenals already. But it requires initiative from the United States to make it happen. And that requires a President willing to show leadership on this issue.

You could, for instance, decide tomorrow to sign, on behalf of the United States, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW or “Nuclear Ban Treaty”), inviting the other eight nuclear-armed nations to join you in signing it.  

The act of signing this treaty does not by itself commit the United States to anything other than the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons – a goal we have been committed to for over 50 years. Treaty obligations only kick in after ratification by the Senate, which leaves ample time to negotiate the details of a verifiable disarmament process with those other eight countries.

And yet, signing the Nuclear Ban Treaty would be the single most powerful thing you can do as President to kick-start the elimination of these weapons. Mr. President, you could win the Nobel Peace Prize for doing this, and the whole world would celebrate the lifting of this existential threat hanging over us all.

Mr. President, we, the undersigned organizations and individuals, urge you to address this, your biggest problem, as soon as possible. Please let us know how we can help you in this endeavor.

Sincerely yours,

Sign as an organization
Sign as an individual

Signatories so far:

  • Ivana Hughes PhD, President, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
  • Jodie Evans, co-founder, CODEPINK
  • Kevin Martin, President, Peace Action
  • David Swanson, Executive Director, World Beyond War; Campaign Coordinator, RootsAction.org
  • Darien Elyse De Lu, President, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, US
  • Charlene Howard, Executive Director, Pax Christi USA
  • Timmon Wallis, Executive Director, NuclearBan.US
  • Brian Campbell, PhD, Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility
  • Soka Gakkai International – USA
  • Dr. Andrew Peterson, Representative for Peacemaking, Presbyterian Church (USA), Office of Public Witness
  • Ariel Gold, Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation – USA
  • Susan H. Smith, Community Liaison, Muslim Peace Fellowship
  • Linda Pentz Gunter, Founder, Beyond Nuclear
  • Michael Beer & Sami Awad Co-Directors, Nonviolence International (USA)
  • Ellen Thomas, Director, Proposition One Committee
  • Sister Clare Carter, Chairperson, New England Peace Pagoda
  • Brian Garvey, Executive Director, Massachusetts Peace Action
  • Catherine Murphy, President, Minnesota Peace Project
  • Peter Bergel, Treasurer, Oregon PeaceWorks
  • Pamela Richard, Office Manager, Peace Action Wisconsin
  • Judith Arnold, Board member, NJ Peace Action
  • The Rev. Robert Moore, Executive Director, Coalition for Peace Action
  • Rev. Rich Peacock, Co-Chair, Peace Action of Michigan
  • Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party
  • Emily Rubino, Executive Director, Peace Action New York State
  • Marj Plumb, DrPH, Executive Director, Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility
  • Mary Smith, Communications Director, Church Women United in New York State
  • Barbara H Warren, MD, MPH, Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Arizona Chapter
  • Syd Sewall, MD, President, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Maine
  • Regna Merritt, Co-President, Board, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility
  • Robert M. Gould, MD, President, San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility
  • Carol Goiburn, Hub Leader, Fresno Back from the Brink
  • U.S. Army Colonel (Ret) Ann Wright, Chapter Coordinator, Veterans For Peace Chapter 113-Hawaii
  • Leigh Ford, Executive Director, Snake River Alliance
  • Aaron Kirshenbaum, War Is Not Green Campaigner & East Coast Regional Organizer, CODEPINK
  • Teresa Costillo, President, WILPF Fresno Branch
  • Glen Milner, Board Member, Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action
  • Pat Elder, Director, Military Poisons
  • Susan Mirsky, Newton Dialogues on Peace and War
  • Gar Smith, Co-founder and Director, Environmentalists Against War
  • Karisa May, Secretary, San Diego Veterans for Peace, Chap 91
  • Dan Yaseen, President, Peace Fresno
  • John Hallam, Nuclear Disarmament Campaigner, People for Nuclear Disarmament
  • Timothy Edward Duda, Founder, Terraavocati.org
  • Nuclear Abolition Now
  • Gregory Corning, Chapter president, Veterans For Peace Joan Duffy chapter
  • Damacio Lopez, Executive Director, International Depleted Uranium Study Team (IDUST)11
  • Pat Hynes, board member, Traprock Center for Peace and Justice
  • Tom Moss, Coordinator, North Alabama Peace Network
  • Cynthia Papermaster, Coordinator, CODEPINK Bay Area
  • Manisha Patel, President, United Nations Association Of Greater Philadelphia
  • Glenn Carroll, Coordinator, Nuclear Watch South
  • Kate Kheel, Founding member, Safe Tech International
  • David Pack, Board Treasurer, PeaceWorks, Kansas City
  • Phoebe Thomas Sorgen, Chair, BFUU Social Justice Committee
  • Sr. Mary E. (Buffy) Boesen, SL, President, Loretto Community
  • Diane Turco, Director, Cape Downwinders
  • Sarah Cool & Teresa Grady, Co-Founders, Beyond Trident
  • Mark Griffin, Elder and Chair, Nacoochee Presbyterian Church Outreach Committee
  • Sally Jane Gellert, Committee of Correspondence, Occupy Bergen County
  • David Delk, Economic Justice Action Group/1st Unitarian Church – Portland OR
  • Deb Katz, Executive Director, Citizens Awareness Network
  • Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community
  • Philip H. Carver, PH.D., Co- coordinator, 350 Salem Oregon
  • Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa
  • Michelle Marsonette, Project manager, VFP Golden Rule Project
  • Terence Lover, Member, Pax Christi-Hudson Valley, NY
  • Terence Lover, Member, Franciscan Justice Circle, Mid-Hudson Valley, NY
  • Timothy Judson, Executive Director, Nuclear Information and Resource Service
  • LABRATS international, Founder, LABRATS International 
  • Bobbie Paul, Treasurer, Atlanta Grandmothers for Peace
  • Jane Leatherman Van Praag, President, Wilco Justice Alliance (Williamson County, TX)
  • Steven Adams, member, Kickapoo Peace Circle
  • Mari Inoue, Co-founder, Manhattan Project for a Nuclear-Free World 
  • Jim Wohlgemuth, Veterans for Peace the Hector Black Chapter
  • Steve Baggarly, co-founder, Norfolk Catholic Worker
  • Kim Williams, member, Hampton Roads Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
  • Lynda Forbes, Secretary, Hunter Peace Group
  • Rick Staggenborg, MD, President, Veterans For Peace Linus Pauling Chapter
  • Thomas Nieland, UUFHCT
  • Kathy Boylan, Catholic Worker, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker
  • Paul Corell, Vice Chairperson, Shut Down Indian Point NOW! (SDIPN)
  • Angelo Mesisco , Owner , Flexible Flyer
  • Arnold Matlin, M.D., Founding member, Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace
  • Chicago Area Peace Action, Interim Co-President, Chicago Area Peace Action
  • Chrostona Grace Malonzo, member, Sowers of Justice
  • Rev. James L. Swarts, President, Veterans For Peace, Chapter 23, Rochester, NY
  • Dave Logsdon, President, Veterans For Peace Chapter 27/Minnesota
  • Mary Shesgreen, Chair, Fox Valley Citizens for Peace & Justice
  • Christine Hoppe, Cofounder, Hampton Roads for Palestine 
  • Kay Flohre, Advocacy Chair, Interfaith Alliance at the Beach
  • Sean Arent, Nuclear Weapons Abolition Program Manager, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
  • Nick Deane, Convenor, Marrickville Peace Group
  • DENIS NDOUR, Program officer, RAJA/SÉNÉGAL
  • Loreta N. Castro, Executive Director, Center for Peace Education, Miriam College
  • Gail Galang, President, Pax Christi – Pilipinas
  • Marie Dennis, Board Member, Assisi Community
  • Megan McElroy, OP, Prioress, Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids
  • Jennifer Kryszak, Director of Strategic Planning, Franciscan Peace Center
  • Paul Frazier, Coordinator, Arkport Catholic Worker Homestead
  • Rosalie Paul, Coordinator, PeaceWorks
  • Reject Raytheon Asheville
  • Tom Clements, Director, Savannah River Site Watch
  • Rachael Bliss, Founder, WNC4Peace
  • Mary Hanson, Chair, Western WA FOR Seattle Chapter
  • Scott Yundt, Executive Director, Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment (CAREs)
  • Paulette Peterson, Co chair of Loretto Link Board, Loretto Link
  • David Hutchinson Edgar, Chairperson, Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
  • Jean Gant Delastrada, Chairperson, Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation
  • Fr. Warren J. Savage, Director and Catholic Chaplain , Albert and Amelia Ferst Interfaith Center, Westfield State University
  • Robyn Harbison, Director, Women Against Military Madness
  • Michelle Santantonio, Chairperson, South Country Peace Group, Inc.