Trump announces new warship class bearing his name
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday the launch of a new class of large warships that will bear his name, an extremely rare move for a sitting president. Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump said the vessels would be “the best in the world” and revealed that construction would begin with two ships under what he called the “Trump Class USS Defiant.”
According to the president, the new warships will displace between 30,000 and 40,000 tons and are intended as a demonstration of American strength rather than a direct message to any specific country. Trump stressed that the initiative was not aimed at China, despite growing global attention on naval competition.
Experts note that the United States continues to maintain a significantly stronger power-projection capability at sea than China, even as Beijing accelerates the modernization of its navy. China has recently commissioned a third aircraft carrier and is widely believed to be building a fourth.
Trump claimed that the first two ships could be completed in about two and a half years, with plans to expand the fleet rapidly to as many as 20 or 25 vessels. He described each ship as potentially the largest warship ever built, invoking the legacy of iconic U.S. battleships from World War II.
The president said the new vessels would be built domestically and equipped with advanced weaponry, including conventional guns, laser systems, hypersonic weapons and nuclear capabilities. He also expressed a desire to be personally involved in the design process, citing his strong interest in aesthetics.
The announcement comes shortly after Congress approved a defense bill allocating more than $900 billion annually. Critics from the Democratic opposition argue that the initiative reinforces concerns about Trump’s personalized approach to power, as he increasingly associates major public projects with his own name.
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