Donald Trump is once again caught in a web of social media criticism after his fresh statement made headlines. The President recently suggested that he helped design a new class of U.S. Navy warships, emphasising that the vessels should look “gorgeous,” even as defence officials focus on advanced military capabilities.
According to Indy100, administration officials have discussed plans for a new generation of battleships informally referred to as the “Trump-class.”
Some supporters dubbed the project the “Golden Fleet.” If built, the ships would mark the first time the U.S. Navy has commissioned battleships of this kind since the USS Missouri in 1944, the vessel on which Japan formally surrendered to end World War II.
The only good thing in this madness is that these ships will never get built https://t.co/s3ZIUnrvjD
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) February 13, 2026
John Phelan, the Navy Secretary, himself promoted the idea on social media and wrote that the administration is planning to “make battle groups great again.” He added that the idea of the Trump-class ship “will be the best-looking warship anywhere on the world’s oceans.”
According to defence officials, early designs for the ships include advanced weapons systems, such as high-powered lasers capable of intercepting ballistic missiles or hypersonic threats.
These are the technologies that the Pentagon has been researching for years as global rivals, including China and Russia, expand their own military capabilities.
However, Trump’s recent remarks in Texas, delivered during a speech to military families, grabbed attention for focusing heavily on the ships’ appearance. “The new battleship that we have, which I’ve seen and helped design, I put a little more spirit in the hull, a little bit more, give me a little bit more hull, I want that ship to look gorgeous,” Trump said.
He continued, “Forget about stealth, they say, ‘Oh, it’s stealth.’ They design ugly equipment for stealth. Well, we’re designing great looking equipment, also stealth.”
The future Trump Class Battleship USS DEFIANT will be the largest, deadliest, most versatile, and best-looking warship anywhere on the world’s oceans. I want to thank @POTUS for his vision to make this game-changing capability a reality for America’s Navy. pic.twitter.com/968vY5by2g
— Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan (@SECNAV) December 22, 2025
The President also claimed that the upcoming ships would be comparatively more powerful than those from the mid-20th century. “‘Sir, the new ships, the new battleships that we have – almost very soon under construction – will be,’ listen to this, 100 times more powerful than the ships that we got to see in the 1940s,” he said.
“Think of that. 100 times powerful. We need that. This way, nobody messes with us, right?” However, like usual, Trump’s comments circulated online immediately, receiving backlash from the critics.
Jeff Timmer, a political strategist and senior adviser to the Lincoln Project called him “stupid” for his comments. Meanwhile, one wrote, “Military ships aren’t sports cars. They’re built to not get blown up. Stealth isn’t about being ‘ugly’ it’s about not showing up clean on a radar.”
As of now, Trump’s remarks have fuelled debate not only about the future of the Navy but also about the president’s approach to defence policy. People believe that in Trump’s rule, symbolism and branding appear to be playing an unusually visible role.
