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By Gabe Whisnant
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President Donald Trump announced plans Monday for a new class of large Navy warships bearing his name.
The so-called “Trump-class” ships would be described as battleships, though officials say they would be next-generation surface combatants built on technology derived from the Navy’s existing Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
Why It Matters
The announcement of the first two ships follows renewed White House pressure to expand U.S. shipbuilding after the Navy recently scrapped plans for a smaller warship amid cost overruns and delays. The White House is framing the move as a centerpiece of Trump's vision for a revamped “Golden Fleet."
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The plan was unveiled at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort as he vacations in Florida and as U.S. forces conduct operations in the Caribbean that the administration says are aimed at disrupting drug trafficking and increasing pressure on Venezuela’s government.
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What To Know
The president was for joined Monday's announcement at Mar-a-Lago by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Navy Secretary John Phelan.
Trump said the ship would be longer and larger than the World War II–era Iowa-class battleships and equipped with hypersonic missiles, rail guns and high-powered lasers, technologies that are still under development by the Navy. Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, now a senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the Associated Press the announcement is expected to include 50 support vessels.
The first "Trump Class" warship will be called the USS Defiant, according to renderings presented Monday.
Historically, the term battleship has referred to large, heavily armored ships armed with massive guns, a class that peaked in prominence during World War II. The role of such ships declined rapidly after the war as aircraft carriers and long-range missiles became dominant, and the Navy decommissioned its last Iowa-class battleships in the 1990s after briefly modernizing them in the 1980s.
Trump has long expressed strong views about the Navy’s fleet, at times favoring older technologies. In October, the president said he would introduce an executive order to bring back steam power to the Navy. He made the comments during a speech to soldiers on the USS George Washington, a U.S. Navy Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier deployed to the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan.
Trump said Monday that he plans to play a direct role in the design of the new warship as well, adding that the Navy will lead the process with his involvement.
Navy Secretary John Phelan has told senators that Trump has frequently texted him late at night about ship maintenance and design, and Trump has previously said he personally intervened to alter the design of a now-canceled frigate, calling the original version “a terrible-looking ship.”
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What People Are Saying
Trump said Monday, “They’ll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built."
Phelan said Monday the planned build-out of warships will ultimately result in "more tonnage and firepower under construction than at any time in history," adding that components would be built in every U.S. state.
What Happens Next
Trump said the project would eventually be expanded to encompass 20 to 25 new vessels.
Updates: 12/22/25, 7:15 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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