{"id":2043,"date":"2025-01-25T16:48:23","date_gmt":"2025-01-25T16:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/"},"modified":"2025-01-25T16:48:23","modified_gmt":"2025-01-25T16:48:23","slug":"trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Picks Ex-Congressman to Manage U.S. Nuclear Arsenal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">President-elect Donald J. Trump has picked Brandon Williams, a former Navy officer and one-term congressman, to become the keeper of the nation\u2019s arsenal of thousands of nuclear bombs and warheads.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Trump\u2019s selection is a shift from a tradition in which the people who served as administrator of the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/nnsa\/national-nuclear-security-administration\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">National Nuclear Security Administration<\/a> typically had deep technical roots or experience in the nation\u2019s atomic complex. What\u2019s unknown publicly is the extent of Mr. Williams\u2019 experience in the knotty intricacies of how the weapons work and how they are kept reliable for decades without ever being ignited.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/terry-wallace-34454435\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Terry C. Wallace<\/a> Jr., a former director of the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lanl.gov\/about\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Los Alamos weapons laboratory<\/a> in New Mexico, expressed surprise at Mr. Trump\u2019s pick.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Dr. Wallace said he had \u201cnever met him or had a meeting\u201d with Mr. Williams and characterized him as having \u201cvery limited experience\u201d with the N.N.S.A.\u2019s missions, based on his own decades of work in and around the nation\u2019s atomic complex.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/fas.org\/expert\/hans-kristensen\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Hans M. Kristensen<\/a>, the director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, said Mr. Williams \u201cwill be facing an incredibly complex, technical job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Williams did not return calls for comment on his selection by Mr. Trump or his credentials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The credentials and credibility of whoever becomes N.N.S.A.\u2019s new leader may face close scrutiny because advisers to Mr. Trump <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/07\/05\/science\/nuclear-testing-trump.html\" title=\"\">have suggested<\/a> that the incoming administration may propose a restart to the nation\u2019s explosive testing of nuclear arms. That step, daunting both technically and politically, would end U.S. adherence to <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.armscontrol.org\/factsheets\/comprehensive-test-ban-treaty-glance\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">a global test ban<\/a> that sought to end decades of costly and destabilizing arms races.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">From 2023 to early this year, Mr. Williams, a Republican, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230513064239\/https:\/brandonwilliams.house.gov\/about\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">represented<\/a> New York\u2019s 22nd Congressional District, an upstate area that includes the cities of Syracuse and Utica. He was <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/05\/nyregion\/new-york-house-mannion-williams.html\" title=\"\">defeated by a Democrat<\/a> in the November election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Williams joined the U.S. Navy in 1991 and served as an officer on the U.S.S. Georgia, a nuclear submarine, before leaving the service as a lieutenant in 1996.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In his congressional biography, Mr. Williams said he made a successful transition during his Navy career into nuclear engineer training, calling it \u201ca very steep learning curve\u201d that he met \u201cagainst significant odds.\u201d The program is <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/nuclear-trained-sailors-considered-navys-best-brightest-face-mental-he-rcna65393\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">widely considered<\/a> one of the U.S. military\u2019s most demanding.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-2\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Trump announced his choice of Mr. Williams as the nation\u2019s nuclear weapons czar in <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TruthTrumpPosts\/status\/1879935835631427886\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">social media posts<\/a> on Thursday morning, calling him \u201ca successful businessman and Veteran of the U.S. Navy, where he served as a Nuclear Submarine Officer, and Strategic Missile Officer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">According to his congressional biography, Mr. Williams founded \u201ca software company that now helps large industrial manufacturers modernize their production plants, secure their critical infrastructure from cyberattacks, and paves the way for reduced emissions through advances in artificial intelligence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/15\/climate\/chris-wright-energy-secretary-nominee.html\" title=\"\">Chris Wright<\/a>, Mr. Trump\u2019s nominee for secretary of energy, the cabinet-level post that oversees the N.N.S.A., called Mr. Williams \u201ca smart, passionate guy\u201d who wants to \u201cdefend our country and make things better,\u201d according to an interview on Wednesday with the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.exchangemonitor.com\/trump-taps-brandon-williams-as-his-nnsa-administrator-nomination\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">website Exchange Monitor<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">A lengthy <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.syracuse.com\/politics\/cny\/2022\/10\/meet-brandon-williams-an-outsider-fights-for-central-ny-seat-in-congress.html\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">2022 profile<\/a> of Mr. Williams described him as a multimillionaire who starts each morning by reading a section of the Bible. After high school, it said, Mr. Williams went to Baylor University, a private Christian school in Waco, Texas, and then transferred to Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">His congressional biography says he earned a bachelors from Pepperdine in liberal arts, and later an MBA from the Wharton School, a contrast with the advanced degrees in physics or engineering that typically dot the r\u00e9sum\u00e9s of weaponeers who end up in senior positions of the nation\u2019s atomic complex.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-3\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The outgoing administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/nnsa\/person\/jill-hruby\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Jill Hruby<\/a>, offers a striking contrast with Mr. Williams in terms of technical background and nuclear experience. Before her 2021 nomination to the post, she had a 34-year career at <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sandia.gov\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Sandia National Laboratories<\/a>, retiring in 2017 as director. By training, she is a mechanical engineer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Sandia is one of the nation\u2019s three nuclear weapons labs, with its main branch located in Albuquerque. It is responsible for the nonnuclear parts of the nation\u2019s arsenal of atomic bombs and warheads.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Other N.N.S.A. administrators have had backgrounds in national security, nuclear operations, the military or scientific fields related to nuclear technology. The <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.columbiamissourian.com\/obituaries\/family_obituary\/john-gordon-aug-22-1946-april-19-2020\/article_ffe26062-8331-11ea-9cf1-2f5e9197a8fd.html\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">first<\/a> was an Air Force general and a former deputy director of the C.I.A.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The overall responsibilities of the N.N.S.A. include designing, making and maintaining the safety, security and reliability of the nation\u2019s nuclear arms; providing nuclear plants to the Navy; and promoting global atomic safety and nonproliferation. In Nevada, the agency runs a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/em\/articles\/nevada-national-security-sites-strategic-vision\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">sprawling base<\/a> larger than the state of Rhode Island, where the United States in the latter years of the Cold War <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1986\/04\/15\/science\/bomb-tests-technology-advances-against-backdrop-of-wide-debate.html\" title=\"\">tested its weapons<\/a> in underground explosions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Dr. Wallace, the former Los Alamos director, said he had tracked Mr. Trump\u2019s search for an agency leader and found that \u201cany candidate will be making a pitch for resumption.\u201d He added, \u201cThat more or less disqualifies any recent director of any nuclear weapons lab.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-4\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Many experts see a restart as unnecessary given the depth and breadth of <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1997\/01\/06\/us\/nuclear-arms-builders-shift-role-from-developers-to-care-takers.html\" title=\"\">the nation\u2019s nonexplosive testing program<\/a>, which the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/nnsa\/articles\/stockpile-stewardship-and-management-plan-ssmp\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">N.N.S.A. runs<\/a> at an annual cost of roughly $10 billion. Experts argue that the program\u2019s decades of analyses have led to deeper understanding of nuclear arms and greater confidence in weapon reliability than during the explosive era.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Dr. Wallace said Mr. Trump was aided in his hunt for a nuclear czar by <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/09\/18\/us\/politics\/national-security-adviser-robert-obrien.html\" title=\"\">Robert C. O\u2019Brien<\/a>, his national security adviser from 2019 to 2021. Last year in Foreign Affairs magazine, Mr. O\u2019Brien, a lawyer, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foreignaffairs.com\/united-states\/return-peace-strength-trump-obrien\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">argued that<\/a> Washington \u201cmust test new nuclear weapons for reliability and safety in the real world.\u201d He added that the freshly tested arsenal would be a deterrent to China and Russia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Republicans have long criticized the test ban and urged a testing restart. President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1996\/09\/25\/world\/clinton-at-un-signs-treaty-banning-all-nuclear-testing.html\" title=\"\">signed the accord<\/a> in 1996. In 1999, however, he suffered <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1999\/10\/14\/world\/defeat-treaty-overview-senate-kills-test-ban-treaty-crushing-loss-for-clinton.html\" title=\"\">a crushing defeat<\/a> when the Senate refused to ratify the test ban treaty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In spite of the treaty\u2019s defeat, successive administrations have informally abided the terms of the test ban. That position began to come under fire during Mr. Trump\u2019s first administration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In 2018, the Defense Department <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/media.defense.gov\/2018\/Feb\/02\/2001872886\/-1\/-1\/1\/2018-NUCLEAR-POSTURE-REVIEW-FINAL-REPORT.PDF\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">declared<\/a> that \u201cthe United States must remain ready to resume nuclear testing.\u201d John R. Bolton, Mr. Trump\u2019s national security adviser from 2018 to 2019, reportedly <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2020\/jul\/22\/john-bolton-us-nuclear-tests-white-house\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">argued for a restart<\/a> but made little headway.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-5\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In 2020, when Mr. O\u2019Brien was the national security adviser, the Trump administration <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national-security\/trump-administration-discussed-conducting-first-us-nuclear-test-in-decades\/2020\/05\/22\/a805c904-9c5b-11ea-b60c-3be060a4f8e1_story.html\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">reportedly discussed<\/a> whether to conduct nuclear test explosions in a meeting with national security agencies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Opponents of a restart see the nonnuclear tests as more than sufficient to ensure arsenal reliability. \u201cWe have more confidence today than when we stopped explosive testing,\u201d <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.llnl.gov\/article\/43586\/victor-h-reis-be-awarded-john-s-foster-jr-medal-contributions-nuclear-security\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Victor H. Reis<\/a>, the program\u2019s architect, said in an interview.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/cisac.fsi.stanford.edu\/people\/siegfried_s_hecker\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Siegfried S. Hecker<\/a>, a former Los Alamos director, argued that a restart would probably start a chain reaction of testing among the world\u2019s atomic powers and perhaps among the so-called threshold states. <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/03\/08\/sunday-review\/irans-nuclear-shell-game.html\" title=\"\">Like Iran<\/a>, they\u2019re considered close to being able to build a bomb.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Dr. Hecker noted that during the Cold War, China <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.armscontrol.org\/factsheets\/nucleartesttally\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">conducted<\/a> 45 test explosions, France 210, Russia 715 and the United States 1,030. He said that Beijing, which in recent years has <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2023\/12\/20\/science\/china-nuclear-tests-lop-nur.html\" title=\"\">rebuilt its base<\/a> for nuclear tests, had a major incentive to design and explosively test a new generation of nuclear arms. He argued that the arms could make its <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/12\/18\/world\/asia\/china-nuclear-buildup.html\" title=\"\">expanding missile force<\/a> more lethal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cChina,\u201d Dr. Hecker added, \u201chas much more to gain from resumed testing than we do.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/trump-brandon-williams-nuclear-weapons.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President-elect Donald J. Trump has picked Brandon Williams, a former Navy officer and one-term congressman, to become the keeper of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2044,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[365,357,114,363,358,360,359,361,364,362,113,162,111,356,188],"class_list":["post-2043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science","tag-arms-control-and-limitation-and-disarmament","tag-brandon","tag-donald-j","tag-energy-department","tag-national-nuclear-security-administration","tag-nuclear-tests","tag-nuclear-weapons","tag-obrien","tag-presidential-transition-us","tag-robert-c-1952","tag-trump","tag-united-states-defense-and-military-forces","tag-united-states-politics-and-government","tag-williams","tag-your-feed-science"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Trump Picks Ex-Congressman to Manage U.S. Nuclear Arsenal - World News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trump Picks Ex-Congressman to Manage U.S. Nuclear Arsenal - World News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"President-elect Donald J. Trump has picked Brandon Williams, a former Navy officer and one-term congressman, to become the keeper of\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"World News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-25T16:48:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"News\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2\"},\"headline\":\"Trump Picks Ex-Congressman to Manage U.S. Nuclear Arsenal\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-25T16:48:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-25T16:48:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/\"},\"wordCount\":1309,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Arms Control and Limitation and Disarmament\",\"Brandon\",\"Donald J\",\"Energy Department\",\"National Nuclear Security Administration\",\"Nuclear Tests\",\"Nuclear Weapons\",\"O'Brien\",\"Presidential Transition (US)\",\"Robert C (1952- )\",\"Trump\",\"United States Defense and Military Forces\",\"United States Politics and Government\",\"Williams\",\"your-feed-science\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Science\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/\",\"name\":\"Trump Picks Ex-Congressman to Manage U.S. Nuclear Arsenal - World News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-25T16:48:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-25T16:48:23+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1\",\"width\":1050,\"height\":550},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Trump Picks Ex-Congressman to Manage U.S. Nuclear Arsenal\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\",\"name\":\"World News\",\"description\":\"World News\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\",\"name\":\"World News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png\",\"width\":581,\"height\":581,\"caption\":\"World News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2\",\"name\":\"News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Trump Picks Ex-Congressman to Manage U.S. Nuclear Arsenal - World News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Trump Picks Ex-Congressman to Manage U.S. Nuclear Arsenal - World News","og_description":"President-elect Donald J. Trump has picked Brandon Williams, a former Navy officer and one-term congressman, to become the keeper of","og_url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/","og_site_name":"World News","article_published_time":"2025-01-25T16:48:23+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"News","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/"},"author":{"name":"News","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2"},"headline":"Trump Picks Ex-Congressman to Manage U.S. Nuclear Arsenal","datePublished":"2025-01-25T16:48:23+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-25T16:48:23+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/"},"wordCount":1309,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1","keywords":["Arms Control and Limitation and Disarmament","Brandon","Donald J","Energy Department","National Nuclear Security Administration","Nuclear Tests","Nuclear Weapons","O'Brien","Presidential Transition (US)","Robert C (1952- )","Trump","United States Defense and Military Forces","United States Politics and Government","Williams","your-feed-science"],"articleSection":["Science"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/","name":"Trump Picks Ex-Congressman to Manage U.S. Nuclear Arsenal - World News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1","datePublished":"2025-01-25T16:48:23+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-25T16:48:23+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1","width":1050,"height":550},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/trump-picks-ex-congressman-to-manage-u-s-nuclear-arsenal\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Trump Picks Ex-Congressman to Manage U.S. Nuclear Arsenal"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/","name":"World News","description":"World News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization","name":"World News","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png","width":581,"height":581,"caption":"World News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2","name":"News","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1","medium":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1","medium_large":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=768&resize=768,0&ssl=1","large":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1","1536x1536":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1536&resize=1536,1536&ssl=1","2048x2048":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=2048&resize=2048,2048&ssl=1","colormag-highlighted-post":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=392&resize=392,272&ssl=1","colormag-featured-post-medium":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=390&resize=390,205&ssl=1","colormag-featured-post-small":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=130&resize=130,90&ssl=1","colormag-featured-image":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=800&resize=800,445&ssl=1","colormag-default-news":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1","colormag-featured-image-large":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1400&resize=1400,600&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-block-extra-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1155&resize=1155,480&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=600&resize=600,417&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-small-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=285&resize=285,450&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-medium-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=575&resize=575,198&ssl=1"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"News","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e85cf08852547781a5f631f3713dbb5197ed4b54e32ae19c7d5769b8c8504897?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":false,"magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"President-elect Donald J. Trump has picked Brandon Williams, a former Navy officer and one-term congressman, to become the keeper of","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["Science"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":33,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":7,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1",1050,550,false],"medium":["https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1",300,300,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/17\/science\/17nukes\/17nukes-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1",150,150,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"News","author_link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e85cf08852547781a5f631f3713dbb5197ed4b54e32ae19c7d5769b8c8504897?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-38\">Science<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2043\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}