{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","name":"Joe Biden inauguration 2021: Donald Trump's nuclear codes deactivated","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/PRC_179850983.jpg?quality=90&strip=all","width":1024,"height":538},"url":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2021\/01\/20\/joe-biden-inauguration-2021-donald-trumps-nuclear-codes-deactivated-13939370\/","datePublished":"2021-01-20T19:49:56+00:00","dateModified":"2021-01-20T19:54:00+0000","headline":"Joe Biden inauguration 2021: Donald Trump's nuclear codes deactivated","articleBody":"The power to launch a nuclear attack has passed from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the inauguration (Pictures: Reuters\/Storyful)\n\n\n\nJoe Biden has taken control of the \u2018nuclear football\u2019 after Donald Trump\u2019s decision to skip the inauguration caused a logistical nightmare over the transfer of the all important codes.\u00a0\n\n\n\nThe bags &#8211; which contain the equipment a president needs to authenticate a nuclear strike &#8211; were pictured being carried through the corridors of the Capitol as they were handed over from Trump\u2019s administration to Biden\u2019s.\n\n\n\nA military aide carries the \u2018football\u2019 and accompanies the president at all times so they can order a nuclear attack at a moment&#8217;s notice.&nbsp;\n\n\n\nThe handover is seen as one of the most important parts of inauguration day but, with Mr Trump travelling 1,000 miles away to Mar-a-Lago in Florida, officials had to come up with a new way of making the transfer.&nbsp;\n\n\n\nTraditionally, military aides are able to pass the \u2018football\u2019 to each other as the new president is sworn in. But Trump was constitutionally obliged to have the codes with him until 11.59am so had to take them with him to Florida.&nbsp;\n\n\n\nAides carrying the distinctive back briefcases were pictured boarding Air Force One as Mr Trump jetted off for the last time as President earlier.&nbsp;\n\n\n\nCNN reported a second nuclear &#8216;football&#8217; was handed over in Washington while Trump\u2019s codes were due to be turned off at noon and Mr Biden inherited the ability to launch a nuclear strike at exactly the same time.&nbsp;\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s believed the new President and his Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed on the process of initiating a nuclear attack this morning.\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web\n\t\t\t\t\t\tbrowser that\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsupports HTML5\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\nAn aide carrying the nuclear football boards Air Force One with Donald Trump earlier (Picture: Reuters)\n\n\n\nA military aide carries the nuclear codes with the president at all times (Picture: Getty)\n\n\n\nMr Biden will have also been given a plastic card &#8211; known as a biscuit &#8211; which contains the codes he needs to identify himself as president.\n\n\n\nIn the US, only the President has the authority to launch a nuclear strike and this power resting in the hands of Mr Trump has caused considerable anxiety over the last four years.&nbsp;\n\n\n\nDozens of people on social media said they wouldn\u2019t be able to relax until noon had past and the handover had been completed.&nbsp;\n\n\n\nIn 2018, the President warned North Korea he \u2018had bigger and more powerful nuclear button\u2019 just months after he threatened the Iranian leader Hasan Rouhani with \u2018consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before.\u2019\n\n\n\nIn October 2018, Mr Trump was warned some of the threats he made on Twitter could be seen as violations of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.\n\n\n\nGet in touch with our news team by emailing us at&nbsp;webnews@metro.co.uk. \n\n\n\nFor more stories like this,&nbsp;check our news page.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Tom Williams","url":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/author\/tom-w\/"},"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2021\/01\/20\/joe-biden-inauguration-2021-donald-trumps-nuclear-codes-deactivated-13939370\/"},"mentions":[{"@type":"Thing","name":"Donald Trump","sameAs":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/donald-trump\/"},{"@type":"Thing","name":"Inauguration Day","sameAs":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/inauguration-day\/"},{"@type":"Thing","name":"Joe Biden","sameAs":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/joe-biden\/"}],"speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","xpath":["\/html\/head\/title","\/html\/head\/meta[@name='description']\/@content"]},"publisher":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Organization","name":"Metro.co.uk","url":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/metrouk","https:\/\/www.twitter.com\/metrouk","https:\/\/uk.pinterest.com\/metrouk","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/metro.co.uk"],"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/metro-parent\/img\/branding\/metro.co.uk\/m-black-share.png"}}}			</script>
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<p>In October 2018, Mr Trump was warned some of the threats he made on Twitter could be seen as violations of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.</p>