Trump announces 'Trump-class' warships, breaking THIS decades-old US military tradition
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Trump announces 'Trump-class' warships, breaking THIS decades-old US military tradition")
US President Donald Trump speaks after announcing the US Navy’s new Golden Fleet initiative, unveiling a new class of warships, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 22, 2025. Photograph: (AFP)
Donald Trump has unveiled plans for heavily armed “Trump-class” US warships, which are to be named after him. While he claims they’ll be the most lethal battleships ever, the move will break a decades-old tradition.
US President Donald Trump on Monday (Dec 22) unveiled plans for a new class of heavily armed US warships that will be named after him. The move breaks a long-standing military tradition, where such honours are typically reserved for leaders after they leave office. It comes on the heels of another narcissistic honour Trump granted himself: the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to "The Donald J Trump and the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts".
Trump-class warships: What we know
Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump said the first two vessels, to be known as the Trump-class, would be built initially, with the possibility of many more to follow. He described the ships as "some of the most lethal surface warfare ships" and claimed they would be "the largest battleship in the history of our country."
Trump was joined at the announcement by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Navy Secretary John Phelan, as images of the proposed vessels were displayed nearby. The president said the ships would displace between 30,000 and 40,000 tonnes and feature an array of advanced weaponry, including missiles, heavy guns, lasers and hypersonic systems that are still under development.
He also said the ships would be capable of carrying nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles, significantly expanding their strategic role. The Trump-class vessels would be substantially larger than current US destroyers and cruisers, though still smaller than the retired Iowa-class battleships, which were phased out in the 1990s. Trump added that he would personally take an interest in the ships' design, saying aesthetics mattered to him as much as firepower.
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Are Trump-class warships actually anti-China warships?
When asked whether the move was aimed at countering China, Trump played it down. "It's a counter to everybody, it's not China. We get along great with China."
US officials have repeatedly warned that Washington is falling behind Beijing in overall fleet size, with China producing warships at a far faster pace. A recent report to Congress highlighted growing concern within the Pentagon over the balance of naval power.
"We're going to restore America as a major shipbuilding power," Trump said. "We're going to ensure the USA has the most powerful fleet anywhere in the world, and long into the future, with battleships helping lead the way."
