To come up with solutions to intractable problems such as the repetitive trauma of hurricanes striking inhabited coastal areas, something called brainstorming has been found to be extremely useful. Our imagination is hindered if we fear bring judged critically for expressing an unthought-through idea, so for the sake of innovation, we choose to turn off the idea-critical aspect of our thinking and to throw out possibly foolish ideas onto the table to be critiqued after the brainstorm, to see if any of them might suggest a new way forward.
I suspect someone wanting to undermine Trump has taken a statement made uncritically during a problem-solving episode and is painting it as a product of Trump’s critical thinking. It is uncertain whether the word “nuclear” was used. The idea of disrupting a developing hurricane with powerful bombs of bunker- buster size or more, may have been floated in such a presidential brainstorming session
Personally, I don’t see any problem with the idea being touted in such a context. It shows that the president’s mind is creative and that he is self-aware enough to not be afraid to suggest ideas outside the box. The leaders of cities like LA, San Fran and NY don’t seem to be able to think of creative ideas that will actually solve their homelessness, crime and middle class exodus problems. They simply re-label the problems to make them sound less serious than they are. 'We don’t have "convicted felons in San Francisco any more. We only have “justice involved persons” '.