The Short Version
No formal or legal removal or restriction of Donald Trump's access to nuclear launch codes occurred during his presidency. While reporting indicates Gen. Mark Milley informally directed officers to involve him in any nuclear launch process after January 6, 2021, multiple authoritative sources confirm this was an unauthorized personal action with no lawful standing — not an institutional military restriction. The U.S. nuclear command system is designed to preserve sole presidential authority, and no legal mechanism exists for the military to curtail it.