Pres. Trump, Sec. of War Hegseth, and Navy Sec. Phelan Announce Golden Age of Naval Fleets – RedState
On Monday, President Donald Trump, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan announced a new series of battleships they called the “Trump Class,” a new initiative to revamp and restore the maritime industry and solidify America’s maritime dominance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also present in the Oval Office and delivered a speech.
The Navy’s new class of large surface combatants: THE BATTLESHIP.
The deadliest surface combatant ever built. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/7AH5G4IJj5
– The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 22, 2025
The president was flanked by images of the Golden Fleet’s first battleship, the USS Defiant. Trump opened his speech by approving this project allowing the Navy to begin construction of these new battleships.
“…very large, largest we’ve ever built…battleships,” Trump said. “You know, we used to build the Iowa, the Missouri, the Wisconsin, the Alabama and many others. We had big combat ships. These are bigger, but they will have 100 times more strength, power. There has never been anything like these ships. These have been under consideration for a long time.
[…]
They are the best in the world, they will be the fastest, the largest and by far, 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built.
WATCH:
🚨 @POTUS: As Commander in Chief, it is my great honor to announce that I have approved a plan allowing the Navy to begin construction of two brand new, very large battleships… They will be the fastest, largest by far — 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built. pic.twitter.com/226O1UxOeS
– Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 22, 2025
Part of Trump’s emphasis on rebuilding and strengthening naval dominance is not only national security, but also economic power. Trump said, “The construction will create thousands of American jobs” and inspire businesses to revitalize the shipyards of decades past. Trump said it was a “tragedy that we let this incredible capability go astray.”
WATCH:
.@POTUS: “We will restore America as a major shipbuilding power. We will make the United States the most powerful fleet in the world.” pic.twitter.com/78cfeWA4F8
– Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 22, 2025
Trump also announced that the Navy would increase the number of aircraft carriers and move to a different class of aircraft carriers. Plans outlined are to start with two battleships, the first being the USS Defiant, and expand to a series of 10 battleships.
Trump praised Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, who understood, organized and executed this vision. Trump applauded the fact that drug trafficking at sea has “dropped 92.6 percent by sea. Soon we’ll start the same program on land. Land is a lot easier. We save 25,000 lives every time we knock out one of these drug boats.”
Trump then asked Secretary of War Hegseth to make some remarks.
Hegseth began:
Mr President, you are absolutely right, there are no fishing rods, no fishermen, no fishing boats. Just drug dealers and narcoterrorists, and with every strike, we save American lives. No other president was willing to exercise real deterrence, and that is exactly what is happening.
It’s an honor to be here, Mr. President, Mr. Secretary, Secretary Rubio, to talk about what “Peace through strength” really looks like. You can talk about it, or you can invest in it and build it. And that’s exactly what President Trump is doing.
Hegseth spoke of the success of the War Department’s goals of restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military, including recruiting, and reestablishing deterrence. Hegseth said, “American strength is back on the world stage.”
And the announcement of the “Golden Fleet,” with new battleships, the largest and deadliest ever built, accomplishes all three goals and marks a generational commitment to American sea power.
Hegseth said this is happening in all areas, including space.
WATCH:
.@SecWar: “This new class, these new investments, will be the kind of thing that for decades… the American people will look back and thank @POTUS to have the vision and the will to invest, now, in the capabilities we need…” https://t.co/TiZhdRbIej pic.twitter.com/4ltpjIlBRF
– Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 22, 2025
This new class, these new investments, will be the kinds of things that for decades, for centuries, the American people will look back on and thank President Trump for having the vision and the will to invest now, in the capabilities we need today, tomorrow and for the long term. So, Mr. President, thank you for this investment.
Secretary Phelan took the podium and said it was “A very meaningful day.”
Phelan said he spoke extensively with Navy combatant commanders and shared what he learned.
What I learned is that not only is the president’s idea a good one, but it’s something the Navy desperately needs and now has a formal requirement for. The future Trump-class battleship, the USS Defiant, will be the largest, deadliest, most versatile warship – and most beautiful – in the world’s oceans.
I want to thank the President for his vision to create this game-changing capability for the U.S. Navy.
The IOWA was designed to attack with the largest guns. And that’s exactly what will define the Trump-class battleships. Offensive firepower from the biggest weapons of our time. This ship is not just for crushing arrows, it will reach out and kill archers.
Now this new battleship will command everything from warships to drones and everything in between. We’re going to make battle groups great again.
Logistics wins the war, and this type of shipbuilding is the spark that will ignite the industrial base and help fuel the commercial shipbuilding the president desires.
Phelan spoke about restoring the Navy’s shipyards and shipbuilding.
WATCH:
.@SECNAV: “Our adversaries will know that when the Trump-class USS Defiant appears on the horizon, American victory at sea is inevitable.” https://t.co/TiZhdRbIej pic.twitter.com/xtldHiaG8G
– Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 22, 2025
The president has been clear: we must restore our American maritime industrial power.
The battleship USS Defiant will inspire awe and respect for the American flag every time it enters a foreign port. It will be a source of pride for all Americans when he brings home our brave sailors who sail the Defiant, raise their fists and say, “We are peace through strength.” And our adversaries will know that when the Trump-class USS Defiant appears on the horizon, American victory at sea will be inevitable.
Thank you, Mr. President. Now, when a conflict arises, you will ask yourself not one, but two questions: Where are the carriers? And where are the battleships?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded the interventions with these brief remarks.
It’s a phenomenal presentation. Thank you, Mr. President. It is the return of American industrial power. It’s about the ability, once again, to rebuild, to have an industry in the United States. It’s generational in change. Not just in terms of applying American war power and increasing our ability to protect the seas. The U.S. Navy is the single, greatest source of world peace among all our forces because it gives us a global footprint. But it rebuilds American industrial capacity. The ability to remake things in our country has been essential to the president’s agenda, and this is a tangible reminder of that. I know the country is grateful, and generations of Americans will be, too.
WATCH:
.@SecRubio: “It’s the return of American industrial power… it’s generational.” https://t.co/TiZhdRbIej pic.twitter.com/MPXfDwMDY1
– Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 22, 2025
President Trump answered questions, one of which was about the timeline. Trump said construction would begin immediately and that the Navy was looking at a two-year window before building the USS Defiant.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage and our enemies are put on notice.
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