Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said he would trust Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump with the nuclear codes.
After he was asked about the codes on the campaign trail, Johnson at first responded that he has “a greater agreement with Mr. Trump” than Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on certain issues, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. Johnson was again asked whether he trusted Trump with the codes, to which he replied, “Certainly.”
“Take a look at his vice president pick (Mike Pence), take a look at his Supreme Court justices, take a look at his family,” Johnson said.
Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), through a spokesman, also said Wednesday he would trust Trump with the codes.
“Rob believes that Mr. Trump and the national security team he appoints will protect our security interests and do everything they can to keep America safe, and that includes the president’s nuclear responsibilities,” Portman campaign spokesman Michawn Rich told the Toledo Blade.
Both Johnson and Portman are currently engaged in tough re-election fights. Portman has endorsed Trump while criticizing some of his more extreme rhetoric, while Johnson has said he will vote for Trump without offering an official endorsement.
“To me, ‘endorsement’ is a big embrace. It basically shows that I pretty well agree with an individual on almost everything. That’s not necessarily going to be the case with our nominee,” Johnson told CNN in June.
Several lawmakers have expressed concerns about Trump having access to the codes, including Vice President Joe Biden and Clinton.
“Imagine, if you dare, imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis,” Clinton said during her speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
GOP Sens. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.) and John McCain (Ariz.) have avoided questions about Trump and the nuclear codes.
A letter sent by 50 Republican national security officials earlier this month said Trump “would be the most reckless President in American history.”
Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims — 1.6 billion members of an entire religion — from entering the U.S.
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