Trump’s genocidal threat should draw our attention to military law, with focus on two specific words that are written into the military code.

Because while—out of self-preservation—I choose to believe this is nothing more than another threat from a fool increasingly desperate for leverage, we can still walk through the steps required should he attempt to do the unimaginable.

And while Trump does have sole authority to issue a launch order, those orders would have to be carried out by career military officers who are deeply familiar with military code. And on this one, it’s clear.

What he’s threatening would be a horrific violation of military code, and of federal law, with catastrophic global consequences.

And even if it is “just” a threat, the fact that we’re even having this discussion means we’ve gone way past the time to impeach and convict, or to invoke the 25th. Because at this point, even JD Vance would be better than this.