The US Navy is getting a makeover after years of being savaged by President Trump for its ‘terrible-looking,’ rust-covered ships.
Standing alongside Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Navy Secretary John Phelan and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump announced the creation of the ‘Golden Fleet, which he branded as ‘Trump-class.’
The president approved plans to begin the immediate construction of the first two vessels, which he claims will be the largest and most powerful battleships in human history.
The first ship will be called the ‘USS Defiant.’
Just last week, the board of trustees for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted to rename the institution ‘The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.’
Earlier in December, the administration also renamed the US Institute of Peace, now officially called the Donald J. Trump US Institute of Peace .
The new fleet announcement comes as the US is in the midst of an increasingly provocative military campaign against Venezuela, and boats the administration claims are carrying drugs.
Calling the current fleet ‘old, tired, and obsolete,’ Trump vowed to move the Navy in the ‘exact opposite direction.’
Trump explaining that these new 30,000 to 40,000-ton vessels are designed to be 100 times more powerful than the legendary Iowa-class battleships of World War II.
While the plan begins with two ships, the administration intends to expand rapidly to a fleet of 10, with an ultimate goal of 20 to 25 battleships.
The Trump-class vessels are being designed as high-tech fortresses, featuring state-of-the-art electric rail guns, hypersonic weapons and high-powered lasers that can ‘wipe out’ targets.
The ships will also reportedly have nuclear-armed capabilities, AI integration and massive guns that can deliver lethal force at a ‘tiny fraction of the cost’ of missiles.
The president emphasized that these ships will be built in American navy yards, creating thousands of jobs and reviving the domestic shipbuilding industry.
‘I’m a very aesthetic person… These cutting-edge vessels will be some of the most lethal Surface Warfare ships… the most ever built.’
This comes after the military green-lit a brand-new class of high-tech frigates, just a week after promising to overhaul America’s aging fleet.
For years, Trump has been on a crusade to revamp the nation’s warships.
The president hasn’t held back his contempt for the current state of the Navy, repeatedly mocking the vessels as an eyesore and claiming they are plagued by unsightly rust.
To ensure these projects move faster than previous military acquisitions, Trump confirmed he will meet with defense prime contractors in Florida next week.
‘We need them now,’ Trump said. ‘They have to build quickly. We make the best equipment in the world, but they don’t make them fast enough.’
Trump did not directly tie the naval expansion to his aggressive strategy toward Venezuela, although he did drop obvious hints.
Trump emphasized that the new Trump-class battleships would be the perfect tool to maintain this ‘Golden Fleet’ presence and ensure no one ‘messes with us.’
In recent weeks he has mentioned Venezuela as a primary reason for the need for a massive, powerful fleet.
Trump also mentioned that the United States will keep the oil and ships that they have seized from Venezuela so far – although he did not confirm if he would sell them, or do something else.
