U.S. President Donald Trump announced at a joint press briefing held with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at Mar-a-Lago on Monday that the U.S. Navy is working on "three large aircraft carriers" and will build 12 to 15 submarines.
He said the U.S. Navy will also build two Trump-class battleships with renderings of Trump-class USS Defiant being displayed at the press briefing. "They'll be the fastest, the biggest and by far, 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built," Trump said.
Trump said he approved a Navy plan to begin the construction of two largest battleships ever built in the United States followed shortly by eight more, and ultimately aims to have a fleet of 20 to 25 ships. He also stated that the new battleships will be built with U.S. steel.
Trump said that these warships will have a displacement of 30,000 to 40,000 tons, equipped with hypersonic weapons, railguns, cruise missiles, and laser weapons, and will serve as the flagship of the U.S. Navy fleet.
The U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement released on Monday that the new Trump-class of ships are currently in the design phase, with construction of the first battleship, the USS Defiant, targeted for the early 2030s.
Trump: US Navy working on "three large aircraft carriers"
Trump: US Navy working on "three large aircraft carriers"
Venezuelans have strongly slammed the United States for imposing a "complete maritime blockade" on tankers transporting Venezuelan energy. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has sent a message to the United Nations and heads of state of countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region, condemning the U.S. for escalating extremely serious aggressions that not only affect Venezuela but also threaten the stability of the entire region and the international system as a whole.
In the letter, Maduro warned that these attacks will impact "the supply of oil and energy, increase instability in international markets, and damage the economies of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the world." The Venezuelan president called for unity among all parties to confront the U.S. military threats and acts of piracy, condemning the U.S. for violating international law and infringing on human rights.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil read the letter on state television from the Venezuelan foreign ministry headquarters on Monday. The letter stated that condoning such unilateral actions by the United States would undermine regional stability and global energy security.
As scheduled, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the situation in Venezuela on Tuesday.
"The entire world is aware that Venezuela possesses oil reserves, and the United States covets our resources," said a citizen in Caracas.
"This constitutes a form of colonialism that seeks to impose its own standards on other countries and exert control over neighboring nations. It represents a new variant of the Monroe Doctrine," said another citizen in Caracas.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a "full and total blockade" of all sanctioned tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, declaring Maduro's government a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization.
The Pentagon has deployed around a dozen warships, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, a major aircraft carrier, and about 15,000 troops to the Caribbean Sea, which shares a significant amount of coastline with Venezuela. The region has not seen such a massive U.S. military presence for at least three decades.
Venezuela has repeatedly accused Washington of seeking regime change and military expansion in Latin America, condemning the U.S. navy's interception of oil tankers as "piracy."
Venezuelans condemn U.S. piracy actions, call for solidarity
