President Donald Trump announced plans Monday for a new class of massive U.S. warships, branding the effort the Navy’s new “Golden Fleet.” The rollout comes as the administration intensifies pressure on Venezuela, including tanker seizures and blunt warnings aimed directly at President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump revealed the plan during an appearance at Mar-a-Lago alongside senior national security officials. He called the ships a centerpiece of a broader military and industrial push.
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A new class of warships
Flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Navy Secretary John Phelan, Trump said he has approved plans to immediately begin building two ultra-large warships, with a long-term goal of expanding the fleet to as many as 20 to 25 vessels.
Trump described the ships as battleships, a category the U.S. Navy has not built in decades, and said they would serve as flagships for the fleet.
“They’ll be 100 times the force, the power,” Trump said. “There’s never been anything like these ships.”
Renderings shown at the event labeled the vessels as part of a new “Trump-class,” including one named the USS Defiant.
‘The largest battleships ever built’
Trump claimed each ship would be the largest battleship ever constructed, combining traditional naval guns with advanced missile systems and next-generation defensive technology.
“Each one of these will be the largest battleship in the history of our country,” Trump said. “The largest battleship in the history of the world ever built.”
He said the ships would be designed to deliver heavy firepower at lower cost than missile-only platforms, while also incorporating emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve performance and survivability.
Trump also said he plans to meet with major defense contractors next week, warning companies to speed up production timelines and reinvest profits into manufacturing capacity rather than stock buybacks or executive pay.
Pressure beyond the shipyards
The announcement landed amid heightened U.S. activity in the Caribbean, where American forces and the Coast Guard have been intercepting oil tankers tied to Venezuela as part of the administration’s pressure campaign against Maduro.
During a question-and-answer session, Trump was asked whether that pressure is meant to force Maduro from power.
“I think it probably would,” Trump said. “I can’t tell that — that’s up to him. I think it would be smart for him to do that. But again, we’re going to find out.”
Asked why Maduro should take U.S. threats seriously, Trump issued a stark warning.
“If he plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’s ever able to play tough,” he said.
Trump also confirmed that the U.S. intends to keep roughly 1.9 million barrels of oil seized from a tanker intercepted off Venezuela’s coast, along with the vessel itself.
“We’re keeping it,” Trump said. “We’re keeping the ships also.”
He added that he has already spoken with American oil companies about what business conditions could look like after Maduro.
