The claim came on April 20 on the “Judging Freedom” podcast hosted by former judge Andrew Napolitano. Larry C. Johnson, a retired CIA analyst, recounted that during an emergency meeting on Saturday at the White House, Trump tried to access the nuclear codes. General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, “stood up and said no”. According to Johnson: “It was a huge blow-up. Very strange things are happening in DC”.

The White House labeled the claim false to Newsweek. Fact-checkers Lead Stories and IBTimes note that no official record of such meeting exists and no media outlet has corroborated the account. Technically, the Chairman is an advisor, not a commander, and has no formal authority to block a presidential nuclear order. Those are the facts on verification.

But there is an uncomfortable context worth remembering. Throughout this war, the White House has denied several versions that were later confirmed. Trump claimed Iran had agreed to surrender its uranium; the 450 kilos remain missing. He swore the Iranian Navy was annihilated; Western intelligence reports Iran retains 60% of its missile launchers and 40% of operational drones.