President Donald Trump visited the soon-to-be commissioned U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier in Newport News, Virginia, promising to restore the greatness of the American Navy.
“I just spoke with Navy and industry leaders and discussed my plans to undertake a major expansion of our entire Navy fleet, including having the 12-carrier Navy we need,” he said during remarks on the ship.
Wearing a red USA hat, Trump toured the ship and met with Navy officials and personnel before delivering his remarks, swapping out his presidential hat for a Navy ship hat and jacket.
“Our carriers are the centerpiece of American military might overseas,” Trump said, remarking that the ship was “four and a half acres of combat power.”
Trump said the Navy was at the smallest that it had been since World War I and called for sustained stable funding to build it up. He promised that his budget would restore the greatness of the military, with a significant boost to defense spending.
“America has always been the one that leads the world into the future and my budget will ensure we do so and continue to do exactly that,” he said. “American ships will sail the seas, American planes will soar the skies, American builders will build our fleets.”