Fulfilling a military goal set in his first administration, President Donald Trump announced a new class of battleships in a move toward a maritime revitalization dubbed the Golden Fleet.
As Christmas week begins, the usual messages of peace on Earth took on a new meaning at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, as the commander-in-chief unveiled his latest effort at peace through strength. Specifically, the president shared plans to begin constructing two new battleships to mark the first of roughly two dozen Trump-class vessels.
Joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, Trump asserted, “As you know, we’re desperately in need of ships. Our ships are… some of them have gotten old and tired, and obsolete.”
“These are the best in the world. The fastest, the biggest, and by far, 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built,” he added during the announcement that featured a rendering of a USS Defiant battleship.
🚨 @POTUS: As Commander-in-Chief, it’s my great honor to announce that I’ve approved a plan for the Navy to begin the construction of two brand new, very large battleships… They’ll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far — 100x more powerful than any battleship ever built. pic.twitter.com/226O1UxOeS
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 22, 2025
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 22, 2025
“We haven’t built a battleship since 1994. These cutting-edge vessels will be some of he most lethal surface warfare ships … other than our submarines,” explained the president as the plan sought to revitalize the nation’s maritime industrial base, America’s dominance on the water, and the rate of production of craft.
A press release from the Navy expressed, “These new battleships will stand as the centerpiece of the Navy’s Golden Fleet initiative and will be the first of its kind, providing dominant firepower and a decisive advantage over adversaries by integrating the most advanced deep-strike weapons of today with the revolutionary systems of the years ahead.”
Among the specifications of the planned 20 to 25 Trump-class vessels, the Navy detailed that they would be the first guided missile battleships featuring nuclear and hypersonic missile capabilities.
“Our adversaries will know, when the Trump-class USS Defiant appears on the horizon, American victory at sea is inevitable,” said Phelan, who asserted, “The future Trump-class battleship USS Defiant will be the largest, deadliest, most versatile, and best-looking warship anywhere on the world’s oceans.”
— Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan (@SECNAV) December 23, 2025
Trump signed an executive order in April, deeming it “the policy of the United States to revitalize and rebuild domestic maritime industries and workforce to promote national security and economic prosperity,” and the expectation was set that the first two vessels would be completed before the end of the president’s term in office.
Despite operating about 75 fewer ships than the Chinese navy, the president disputed the idea that this increase in firepower — that would include a railgun, lasers, and vertical launch missile cells — was specifically planned to compete with the communist nation.
“It’s a counter to everybody. It’s not China, we get along great with China,” Trump told reporters. “I have a great relationship with President Xi, and it’s not China. It’s just everybody you don’t know who comes along, but we just wanted peace through strength.”
Touting successful deals abroad selling aircraft, the president also conveyed the need for production rates to increase, stating, “We make the best equipment in the world, but they don’t make it fast enough.”
“This is American industrial power returning,” said Rubio, who went on to add, “The ability to make things again in our country has been critical to what the president’s agenda has been all about, and this is a tangible reminder of it. I know the country’s grateful for it and generations of Americans will be grateful for it.”
.@SecRubio: “This is American industrial power returning … the ability to make things again in our country has been critical to what the President’s agenda has been all about … and generations of Americans will be grateful for it.” pic.twitter.com/Yhg3RVxHsd
— Department of State (@StateDept) December 23, 2025
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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