Trump Announces New Class of U.S. Battleships Named After Himself
A new generation of American battleships bearing President Donald Trump’s name is being planned, with the Navy outlining vessels that would carry nuclear capabilities and represent a return to a class of warship not used in combat for decades.
Speaking Monday, Trump said the ships are intended as a broad show of strength rather than a message to any single rival. “It’s a counter to everybody. It’s not China. We get along great with China,” he said. “It’s just everybody. You don’t know who comes along, but we just wanted peace through strength. Hopefully we never have to use them, but there will never be anything built like these.”
The announcement was made at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where Navy Secretary John Phelan described the vessels as “Trump-class battleships.” He said an upcoming ship, to be known as the USS Defiant, would be “the largest, deadliest and most versatile and best-looking warship anywhere on the world’s oceans.”
According to officials, the battleships will be outfitted with a wide array of weaponry, including traditional guns and missiles alongside hypersonic weapons, electronic rail guns, and high-powered laser systems. Phelan added that the ships will also be equipped with the “nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile.”
Trump said the goal is to establish an entirely new fleet of such vessels over time. “We envision that these ships will be the first of a whole new class of battleships to be produced in the years to come,” he said, adding that the long-term plan calls for as many as 20 to 25 ships.
The president also framed the idea as a revival of an older naval concept. “These have been under design consideration for a long time, and it started with me in my first term, because I said, ‘Why aren’t we doing battleships like we used to?'” Trump said.
The Defense Department said the Navy will take the lead in designing the ships, which are expected to be completed in the early 2030s. Trump indicated he intends to be involved in the process as well, saying he would participate “because I’m a very aesthetic person.”
Battleships have been largely absent from modern U.S. combat operations. The last time the United States deployed them in active fighting was in 1991, during the first Gulf War against Iraq.
The move fits into a broader pattern of Trump’s name and image being attached to federal institutions and projects during his second term. In recent weeks, a board selected by Trump voted to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the Trump-Kennedy Center. His name was also added to the U.S. Institute of Peace headquarters, and the Interior Department last month showcased a 2026 national park pass featuring Trump’s likeness. Several of those actions are now facing legal challenges.
Despite the sweeping scope of the new naval plans, Trump emphasized that the battleships are intended to preserve stability rather than provoke conflict, portraying them as a tool to maintain U.S. dominance and deter any potential adversary that might emerge.
{Matzav.com}
