Quotes from William J. Perry

The key facts—that the president can order nuclear war on his own authority, that US weapons can be used first, that US weapons are on hair-trigger alert and ready for use, that weapons are susceptible to cyberattack, and that we have hundreds of vulnerable land-based missiles—all increase the danger of catastrophe by accident.

Anyone who considers using a weapon of mass destruction against the United States or its allies must first consider the consequences... We would not specify in advance what our response would be, but it would be both overwhelming and devastating.