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Jeff Merkley: “The biggest risk to humanity was nuclear war.”

Featuring: Jeff Merkley, Democratic | U.S. Senate from Oregon

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Published February 5, 2026 | Video Starts at 06:40

… of Defense for Ronald Reagan, under a program that allowed you to choose your assignments over a two year period, assignments of three to four months each. I knew that The biggest risk to humanity was nuclear war. And so this unexpected opportunity became the path for my life. In the 1980s, I joined the Defense Department. I had a number of assignments, all directed towards the goal of reducing the risk of nuclear war. (06:40–06:44)

CLAIM

Asserts that nuclear war is the greatest threat to humanity.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Jeff Merkley

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