--- title: "State Department Insider on Elon Musk Accessing Nuclear Weapons: “If You Make Something Idiot-Proof, the World Will Build a Better Idiot”" description: "Elon Musk's government takeover is obviously freaking everyone out — but there's no need to worry about him accessing the nukes just yet. " date: "2025-02-12" modified: "2025-02-12" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/state-department-insider-elon-nuclear-arsenal" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "department of energy" - "doge" - "elon musk" - "nuclear weapons" --- # State Department Insider on Elon Musk Accessing Nuclear Weapons: “If You Make Something Idiot-Proof, the World Will Build a Better Idiot” ![Elon Musk's government takeover is obviously freaking everyone out — but there's no need to worry about him accessing the nukes just yet. ]() *\Image: Justin Sullivan via Getty / Futurism\* ## DOGE With a Bone Elon Musk's [government takeover]() is freaking tons of people out — especially as at least one of his DOGE lackeys has [reportedly been given access]() to the same system as the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which safeguards the nation's atomic arsenal. But you can breathe easy for now. In an [interview with *The Verge*](), a State Department official said that as of right now, there's little chance that one of Musk's flunkies could access America's nukes. "I can’t see what \[Musk\] would possibly do," the unidentified State Department insider said of the billionaire unelected official and [his wreckers]() at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). According to that State employee, the chances of Musk or DOGE accessing our nuclear weapons are "zero" because, as they explained, America's arsenal simply isn't connected to the internet. Instead, it runs on a [closed network]() with the explicit purpose of nuclear governance in mind. As *The Verge* notes, that closed nuclear network still uses equipment from the 1960s and 70s, making it more concerning that the decrepit system — which still used floppy disks [until 2019]() — would fail to function in a crisis than that it would be infiltrated by overzealous children. "I can’t fathom how that would happen," the person said. "Famous last words." Still, there's always a chance that the impossible — such as Donald Trump becoming president twice — can occur, as the State Department employee said in a particularly cryptic line. "I also firmly believe that if you make something idiot-proof," the person said, "the world will build a better idiot." Alex Wallerstein, a nuclear expert with the Stevens Institute of Technology, told *The Verge* that the best way for Musk to access the nuclear arsenal would be to pull a good old fashioned con. "If Musk was trying to do a true 'hostile takeover' of that sort, it would be best accomplished by just fooling Trump into believing nuclear war was imminent," Wallerstein said, "which would probably be a trivial endeavor for someone of Musk’s wealth and Trump’s gullibility." Short of that, there's very little chance that Musk will gain access to America's nukes. "I don’t think the current command and control systems are 'hackable,'" Wallerstein continued. "They are frankly not modern enough for that." Amid passive efforts within and outside the Pentagon to [modernize America's strategic command]() of its arsenals — including, chillingly, [with artificial intelligence]() — we should probably thank our lucky stars that progress moves at a snail's pace within government. **More on the DOGE dilemma:** [*Elon Musk's Henchmen Feeding Sensitive Government Data Into AI*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()