Trump announces construction of fleet of nuclear-capable warships and names them after himself

Donald Trump had planned a joint appearance this Monday from his Mar-a-Lago resort with the Secretary of State, Marco Rubiowith the Secretary of the War Department, Pete Hegsethand with the Secretary of the Navy, John Phelanto make an “important announcement” related to national security. The wait was maximum.

Many believed that this would be linked to the escalation of tensions with Venezuela from Nicolas Maduroto some extent, this went beyond the seizure of oil tankers off the coast of the Caribbean country or indiscriminate attacks with alleged drug boats, which claimed the lives of more than a hundred people. In short, they were thinking about some kind of major military operation in the Caribbean that would target Venezuela.

On the other hand, as the agency announced this Monday Associated PressTrump intended to announce plans to build new warships – “battleships,” in the US president’s words – as part of his plan to create a “Golden Fleet” which could eventually have 50 support ships in the medium term.

They understood well. Even before Trump appeared on stage, escorted at all times by Rubio, Hegseth and Phelan, several posters on both sides of the lectern showed images of a warship with the words “Trump Class USS Defiant.”

It did not take long for the tenant of the White House to announce that the Navy would begin building from scratch these “battleships” bearing his name. He also announced that he himself would participate in the design of the boats because – he stressed – he is “a very aesthetic person”.

The new battleship will be, in Trump’s own words, “bigger, faster and a hundred times more powerful than any warship previously built in the United States.” Phelan confirmed, in this sense, that the ships will be equipped with the “nuclear-capable cruise missile launched from the sea”.

“This is just one part of the president’s golden fleet that we are going to build,” said the Navy secretary, the first person in more than fifteen years to lead the naval branch of the U.S. armed forces without prior military experience. It’s not for nothing that Phelan is, like other members of the Trump administration, an investor.

Trump’s plans attempt to thwart China Xi Jinpingwhose fleet of 400 ships is already the largest in the world. It is for this reason that the Republican president put pressure on the contracting companies, which he will meet next week in Florida.

Trump wants to speed up production schedules “because they’re too slow, they’re not producing them fast enough.” He wants to have the first 20 or 25 boats as soon as possible. Although he doesn’t expect to have them at his disposal for two and a half years.

More pressure on Chavismo

Trump only spoke about Venezuela after being questioned by the press. The Republican president announced, for example, that he would keep the 1.9 million barrels of oil that were on board the third ship seized off the coast of Venezuela, and that he would do the same with the ships that, according to the United States, are part of the “dark fleet” that Chavismo uses to evade its sanctions.

Trump also said he had spoken with U.S. oil companies about what a Venezuela without Maduro could mean for their businesses in the Caribbean country, but he avoided saying openly whether his goal was to oust the Chavista leader. “I can’t say that; it’s up to him what he wants to do. I think it would be smart of him to do it. But, again, we’ll find out,” he replied.

According to the Associated Press, the Russian Foreign Ministry began work on evacuating the families of diplomats from Venezuela last Friday. Evacuations which, for the moment, only concern women and children. From Moscow, they see the situation in the country, according to the American press agency, in “a very gloomy tone”.