Bolton Can’t Stop Laughing at Gillibrand’s Nuclear Weapon Gaffe

‘I’ll just say maybe Senator Gillibrand could give me a call and tell me what she knows about those tactile nuclear weapons’

EXCERPT:

HEWITT: “Ambassador Bolton. The presidential campaign is underway. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ventured into strategic matters at a town hall in Dover. Let me play you a 40 second cut of what she had to say and ask the follow up question. Cut number 17.”
[clip starts]
GILLIBAND: “When you say you want to develop low-yield nuclear weapons that are tactile, what you’re saying is you want to use them. Now the military will make an argument to say oh, this is just again to make, we have to have an equal threat. And this, if it’s usable, then it’s a better threat. I just found that is not believable. I just, I, they’re trying to create nuclear weapons that are usable. So I opposed the entire Defense bill because of that one provision. So if I am president, I am going to make sure we unwind that completely, and I don’t think we should be trying to create tactile nuclear weapons.”
[clip ends]
HEWITT: “So the —“
BOLTON [laughs]: “Tactile nuclear weapons?”
HEWITT: “Well, I was unfamiliar with the concept, Mr. Ambassador.”
BOLTON: [laughs]
HEWITT: “What are you up to?”
BOLTON [laughs]: “I have to say, I was unfamiliar with it as well. I wonder what Senator Gillibrand knows that I don’t.”
HEWITT: “Oh, they are very worried. I’ve been studying this stuff with, since President Nixon was in retirement in San Clemente. First time I’ve heard of tactile nuclear weapons. So what, is something going on at Andrew Marshall’s old office at the Pentagon we don’t know about?”
BOLTON [laughs]: “Well, you know, Hugh, as national security adviser, I don’t get involved in politics. But I’ll just say maybe Senator Gillibrand could give me a call and tell me what she knows about those tactile nuclear weapons. I’d be interested in learning it." (Laughter)
HEWITT: “All right, we’ll leave it there.”

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