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Published on: 04/21/2026 - 11:12 p.m. Modified on: 04/21/2026 - 11:12 p.m.

While the diplomatic impasse persists between Washington and Tehran, a rumor claims that the American president tried to activate the nuclear codes before being prevented from doing so by General Dan Caine. There is no evidence of such an altercation between Donald Trump and his chief of staff. The originator of the rumor himself admitted on his blog that he "does not know if this is true." This misinformation nevertheless raises the question: who could oppose such a presidential order?

It all starts from a statement in a podcast hosted by a former judge with rather anti-Trump positions. His guest, Larry Johnson, is a former CIA analyst whose career dates back decades. He claims that the American president lost his temper last Saturday, to the point of trying to activate the nuclear codes to bomb Iran. According to this account, it was his own chief of staff, General Dan Caine, who should have intervened to prevent him.

To lend credence to this thesis, images of General Caine walking headlong out of the White House were circulated as evidence of a heated confrontation. While it is true that an exceptional security council was held on Saturday ahead of negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, no leading media has confirmed the slightest altercation. And Larry Johnson himself admitted on his blog to having no proof, while noting the virality of his analysis.

Also read Donald Trump sends a delegation to Pakistan, Iran leaves doubt over its participation

Can we refuse an order from the “Commander-in-Chief”?

As commander in chief, the American president has exclusive authority over the use of nuclear weapons. Neither Congress nor the General Staff can oppose a presidential order of this nature. As for the chief of staff of the armed forces, he is not even part of the operational decision-making chain.

However, between this decision and the firing, a long human chain comes into play. Officers could decide to oppose an order if they deem it manifestly illegal because carrying it out would expose them themselves to international criminal sanctions for war crimes. For some legal experts, launching an atomic weapon would automatically contravene international humanitarian law or the Geneva Conventions. There would therefore not be a right but a duty to oppose.

Tensions between Donald Trump and Dan Caine?

If the nuclear codes incident is not proven, the fact remains that the misunderstandings between Donald Trump and some of his military leaders are now apparent. General Caine's mission is to advise the president in an apolitical manner and without ever giving his personal opinion. Since taking office in April 2025, he has kept a low profile without ever criticizing the head of state.

But last February, when the president claimed that his general had promised him an "easy victory" in Iran, sources close to the Pentagon immediately corrected the situation in the press, specifying that Caine had on the contrary warned about the potential human costs and the depletion of weapons stocks that such an offensive would cause.

Accusations of purge within the army

The recent and unexplained dismissal of Army Chief of Staff Randy George was seen by many observers as a signal of a "purge" within the armed forces. Dan Caine's statement thanking the general for his years of service was then interpreted by some as a form of silent disapproval of the White House.

Also read: American Chief of Staff of the Army, Randy George, dismissed

Finally, the Wall Street Journal revealed that after the disappearance of two American pilots during the Easter weekend, Donald Trump would have been so overcome by anger that his advisers would have preferred to keep him physically away from the operations monitoring room. A scene downplayed by the presidential spokesperson, who assures that the head of state has remained “the solid leader that the country needs”.

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