Nyuk Nyuk Nuke

I don't believe we should help a regime of religious fundamentalists have a nuclear weapon... and we shouldn't let Iran have one either.

The Biden administration was working on a deal with Saudi Arabia to help them acquire nuclear energy, though the terms required that the kingdom recognize Israel and adhere to strict inspections. The deal was never finalized. Along comes Donald Trump, who the Saudis have been paying off for years, and the deal is back on, minus recognizing Israel and the inspections.

The next time you hear a MAGAt claim that Democrats hate Israel and Jews, remember that it was Republicans who cleared the path for one of their enemies to acquire nuclear weapons.

While the initial phase of this is for Saudi Arabia to enrich its own fuel for nuclear reactors, the fear is that the kingdom could use a civilian nuclear project to eventually develop nuclear weapons.

The Trump regime plans to formally sign and announce the agreement with the Saudis on Wednesday, and announce the details to Congress later. Congress is where it might get sticky. But just like the war with Iran, the Trump administration does not want to share a lot of details with them.

While most Republicans in Congress will do whatever Donald Trump tells them to do, whether it's granting nuclear weapons to Saudi Arabia or tickling Trump's balls with a golden feather that can only be purchased from Donald Trump's website for $49.95, there are several lawmakers from both parties, along with Israel, that oppose this plan. Some people don't think it's a good idea to clear a pathway to nuclear weapons for the country where most of the 9/11 hijackers came from. Where did they get that ideology to hate America? Oh yeah, Saudi Arabia.

The agreement will require review by Congress, which under the Atomic Energy Act, has the power to vote a resolution of disapproval. The agreement would likely pass because Congress would have to assemble a veto-proof majority to override Trump’s initiative. A tsk-tsk from our spineless Congress isn’t going to nix this deal.

The Trump regime estimates it will provide billions of dollars for the US nuclear industry, starting with Westinghouse, which designs many of the reactors sold abroad. The Trump regime is giving Westinghouse $17.5 billion in low-interest federal loans to build ten advanced nuclear reactors in the US. The $17.5 billion loan package builds upon a broader $80 billion partnership the regime has reached with Westinghouse as it seeks a 20% equity stake in Westinghouse's international nuclear profits for the government. But remember kids, socialism is bad.

Of course, the cynic in me wants to know if Trump's kids or Trump himself have invested in Westinghouse.

The accord with the Saudis has been under discussion for years, and during the Biden administration it was envisioned as part of a broader deal that would include Saudi diplomatic recognition of Israel. But after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas, that prospect receded. Then Trump happened and separated the proposal for US-Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation from any demand that Saudi Arabia recognize Israel.

Then, to get the deal done with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s 40-year-old de facto leader who ordered the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump had to agree to terms that can limit international inspectors from going to any sites in the country that they think could be a pathway to diverting fuel to weapons projects.

But here’s the thing: Mohammed has vowed he would build nuclear weapons if Iran does so, even insisting in one interview he would do so “without a doubt.” So we do not trust the Iranians to have a civilian nuclear program, but we trust the Saudis? If we can't trust them with bonesaws, why would we trust them with a nuclear bomb?

Iran has had a nuclear program that it says is intended for civilian use, though it has enriched uranium to near weapons-grade following Trump’s boneheaded withdrawal in 2018 from the nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration, which was working to prevent Iran from constructing a nuclear weapon. Trump then ordered US forces to join with Israel to attack Iran’s nuclear sites in June 2025, and to start a war against Iran this February.

Trump’s concessions to the Saudis on the terms of the nuclear deal are significant. When the US entered into a similar agreement with the United Arab Emirates in 2009, there were far more restrictions. The UAE agreed to the stringent inspections, signing what is called an “additional protocol” with the International Atomic Energy Agency. And it agreed to forgo the right to produce its own fuel, cutting off the possibility that it would have the infrastructure to produce a weapon.

The bulk of the negotiations with the UAE took place while George W. Bush was in office, and was finished by President Barack Obama. The agreement with the UAE is considered the “gold standard” for nuclear nonproliferation. The agreement Trump has made with the murderer in charge of Saudi Arabia will be known as the “shit standard" for nuclear nonproliferation, wink-wink.

Keep in mind that while we are giving Saudi Arabia access to a nuclear bomb, it is widely believed that Israel already has nuclear weapons. Allowing Saudi Arabia to have a nuclear device may be just as dangerous as letting Iran have one.

We should not trust Iran with a nuclear weapon, and we shouldn't trust the murderous Mohammed bin Salman or Donald Trump with one either.

Creative note: This is one of those cartoons where, when it was completed, I took a step back to look at it, and thought to myself…meh. I put a lot of work into my mushroom cloud, only at the very end to think…meh. I could've done better.

This was my first drawing. I like the cloud, but I don't like the ring around the stem. I also decided that Trump shouldn't just be standing there waving, so I added the hot dog, and instead of the sippy cup, he's holding a bottle of ketchup with a tomato on the logo that does not look too eager for what comes next.

If you are considering becoming a paid subscriber, I would really appreciate your financial support. I keep losing paid subscribers, and I don't know why. I've already lost three this week, and it's scaring me. With the disability left behind by my stroke, I really don't think I could find a job doing anything else, though I could probably negotiate a better nuclear treaty or peace deal than Donald Trump.

To all my paid subscribers, thank you and please don't leave me. The only way I can bring new cartoons and blogs to you is with your support. Thank you so much for that.

What the hell am I eating? I bought some chicken Shawarma I found at the grocery store for five bucks. All I had to do was fry it. I added some red pepper and onions to it, though not nearly enough. The pita fell apart immediately. What's the white stuff on it? It's sugar-free vanilla Greek yogurt. It is pretty good though. I'm not really looking forward to eating the leftovers, but I gotta.

Drawn and 30 seconds:

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