Palm Beach, Florida. President Donald Trump announced plans to attach his name to a new class of U.S. Navy battleships that will feature nuclear capabilities, marking a dramatic revival of a naval platform last used in combat more than three decades ago. Speaking at an event at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump and Navy Secretary John Phelan introduced what they described as “Trump-class battleships,” with the first vessel expected to be named the USS Defiant.
Phelan said the ships will be the largest and most heavily armed warships in the world, equipped with missiles, hypersonic weapons, electronic rail guns, high-powered lasers, and a nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile. Trump said the Navy envisions building between 20 and 25 of the battleships over time, with the first expected to be operational early next decade.
The United States last deployed battleships in combat during the 1991 Gulf War. Trump said the concept dates back to his first term, when he questioned why the Navy had abandoned the platform. He added that he would personally weigh in on design decisions, citing aesthetics alongside military capability.
The announcement fits a broader pattern during Trump’s second term of placing his name or image on federal institutions and projects, including recent moves involving the Kennedy Center and other government facilities. Some of those actions are currently facing legal challenges.
Trump said the new ships are intended as a general deterrent, emphasizing “peace through strength” rather than targeting any specific country.
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