US President Donald Trump has announced an ambitious plan to reshape American naval power, unveiling a new class of warships bearing his name and describing them as “the largest and most lethal in the world,” amid escalating tensions with Venezuela and growing focus on the country’s vast oil reserves.
Speaking at a press conference from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump said the United States would manufacture 15 submarines, three aircraft carriers and a new class of warships under what he called the “Golden Fleet” project, aimed at modernizing the US Navy and reinforcing American military dominance.
He claimed the new warship would be “the largest in our country’s history, and the largest warship ever built in the history of the world.”
According to Trump, the navy plans to begin construction with two destroyers of the new class, before expanding the program to include between 20 and 25 vessels, according to news reports.
Standing before an illustration of the proposed ship, Trump said the warships would be equipped with artificial intelligence and would be “100 times larger, faster and more powerful” than any previous US warship.
He said the project would help maintain US military superiority, revive the domestic shipbuilding industry and “instill fear in the hearts of America’s enemies.”
Trump also addressed recent US actions against Venezuela, confirming that two oil tankers seized off the Venezuelan coast would remain under American control. He said the oil from the first tanker, seized on December 10, could be kept or sold and potentially added to the United States’ strategic reserves.
Asked whether Washington’s actions were aimed at ending President Nicolas Maduro’s 12-year rule, Trump said it would be “wise” for the Venezuelan leader to step down, adding that the decision ultimately rested with Maduro himself.
In response, the Venezuelan president rejected Trump’s remarks in a televised address, urging the US leader to focus on economic and social problems at home and to refrain from interfering in Venezuela’s internal affairs.
