WEEKEND QUOTABLES

"His goal – to keep a catastrophic hurricane from hitting the mainland – is not bad. His objective is not bad." -- Unnamed official

Senior Homeland Security and national security officials

During one hurricane briefing at the White House, Trump said, "I got it. I got it. Why don't we nuke them?" according to one source who was there. "They start forming off the coast of Africa, as they're moving across the Atlantic, we drop a bomb inside the eye of the hurricane and it disrupts it. Why can't we do that?" the source added, paraphrasing the president's remarks. -- Axios

 On Sunday, the White House declined to comment 

“We don’t comment on private discussions that the president may or may not have had with his national security team,” it said. -- The Hill

A senior Trump administration official

...told Axios that the president's suggestion to drop nuclear bombs into hurricanes to stop them from hitting the United States was well-intentioned.

"His goal — to keep a catastrophic hurricane from hitting the mainland — is not bad," the official, who had been briefed on the suggestion, told the outlet. "His objective is not bad." -- The Hill

Jennifer Rubin

All presidential candidates (Republican challengers and Democrats) should express grave concern about his mental and emotional fitness, as should members of Congress. If need be, hearings should be held to convey expert opinion about his observable behaviors. -- Washington Post

The story by Axios that President Trump wanted to blow up large hurricanes with nuclear weapons prior to reaching shore is ridiculous. I never said this. Just more FAKE NEWS!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2019