National Security

Trump official who suggested dropping nuclear bombs on Afghanistan now responsible for arms control issues

By John Hudson
November 27, 2019 at 1:56 p.m. EST

A former conservative talk radio host and naval intelligence officer who suggested dropping nuclear bombs on Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks now works on arms control issues at the State Department, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

Frank Wuco, a senior adviser at the State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, came under scrutiny last year when his past comments involving the promotion of far-right conspiracy theories surfaced.

Some of those included debunked claims that former president Barack Obama was not born in the United States, former CIA director John Brennan converted to Islam, former attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr. had been a member of the Black Panthers and former Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

When a CNN investigation unearthed the remarks last year, Wuco was working at the Department of Homeland Security. A spokesman for the agency defended him at the time, saying the comments had “no bearing on his ability to perform his job for the American people.”

Now Wuco works at the State Department, though some arms control advocates have questioned his suitability for the area of arms control given his past remarks.

The State Department declined to comment.
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John Hudson is a national security reporter at The Washington Post covering the State Department and diplomacy. He has reported from a mix of countries including Ukraine, Pakistan, Malaysia, China, and Georgia. Follow https://twitter.com/John_Hudson