Ex-CIA Analyst Claims Trump Sought to Invoke Nuclear Codes Against Iran Before General Caine Intervened

A retired CIA analyst has claimed that President Donald Trump attempted to invoke nuclear codes against Iran during an emergency meeting on Saturday, and that Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine stepped in to stop him. Larry C Johnson made the allegation on the 'Judging Freedom' podcast, hosted by former judge Andrew Napolitano, and has not been confirmed by any official source.

On the same podcast, Johnson said 'there is seriously something wrong with Trump.' The clip, amplified by political commentator Jimmy Dore on his verified X account, had accumulated over 545,000 views by 20 April 2026. The White House, the Pentagon, and General Caine's office have not responded to the claim.

Who Is Larry Johnson

Johnson spent four years as a CIA analyst before moving to the State Department's Office of Counterterrorism, leaving government work entirely in 1993. He has worked since as a political commentator, blogger, and private security consultant — frequently appearing on platforms critical of US foreign policy.

His public record is not without serious controversy. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Russian state media have cited Johnson in hundreds of news articles and TV reports, frequently presenting him as an authoritative intelligence voice despite his short government tenure more than 35 years ago. A Voice of America analysis concluded his claims are often false or misleading, and useful to Kremlin messaging.

Johnson has been cited repeatedly by Russian state outlets, including Izvestia, Sputnik, and RIA Novosti, according to a Wikipedia profile of his media appearances. In March 2025, he was among a small group of Western media figures invited to interview Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow — a detail that drew fresh scrutiny of his positioning as an independent voice.

Who Is General Caine

Central to Johnson's claim is General Dan Caine, a figure whose relationship with Trump and approach to the Iran conflict have been closely watched. Caine was confirmed by the US Senate as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs in April 2026, making him the first person appointed to the role without previously holding the rank of four-star general or admiral.

As chairman, Caine has been vocal about the potential downsides of launching a major military operation targeting Iran, raising concerns about the scale, complexity, and potential for US casualties. Joint staff spokesperson Joe Holstead told CNN that Caine 'never pulls punches when discussing military options which could send our troops into harm's way.'

Trump himself pushed back on earlier reports that Caine had warned of risks, posting on Truth Social that such stories were '100 percent incorrect' and that Caine believed any military action against Iran would be 'something easily won.'

The Wider Iran Picture

Johnson's claim surfaced at a particularly sensitive moment. Talks held in Islamabad over the weekend collapsed after 21 hours without an agreement, following which the White House confirmed Trump had ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

American negotiators had proposed a 20-year suspension of Iranian uranium enrichment. Iran countered with five years — an offer the US rejected. The ceasefire between the two sides was due to expire on 21 April, with both governments weighing whether to resume direct negotiations.

As of 16 April, Caine confirmed the naval blockade had forced 13 ships to turn around and had been extended to cover the Pacific area of responsibility, targeting vessels suspected of carrying Iranian contraband.

No Official Confirmation

Johnson's claim has not been verified by any credible news organisation or government source. No official record, court document, or on-the-record source has corroborated the account of an emergency meeting or nuclear codes being raised. The allegation remains unconfirmed.

Unverified claims about nuclear decision-making carry real weight in a live conflict. With US-Iran negotiations at a critical juncture and a naval blockade already in effect, the circulation of unconfirmed accounts adds pressure to an already volatile situation. Understanding who is making such claims — and what their documented track record looks like — is a necessary part of assessing them.