【By Xianghuzhe Net, Xiong Chaoran】 Previously, the U.S. "Secretary of War" Hagel had gathered senior U.S. military officers from around the world to meet in Quantico, Virginia. On the morning of September 30 local time, President Trump delivered a speech to hundreds of U.S. military officials at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico.

According to media outlets such as The New Republic (TNR) and Business Insider on that day, in his speech, Trump criticized the current U.S. warships for looking too fragile and proposed the idea of reactivating U.S. Navy battleships (battleship).

"We are considering the 'battleship' concept. Beautiful six-inch (about 152 mm) sides, made of sturdy steel, not aluminum, not that kind of aluminum that melts once hit by a missile, which starts melting when the missile is about two miles (about three kilometers) away from it," said Trump.

Trump clearly stated that these "complaints" had nothing to do with efficiency or safety issues. "I am very concerned about aesthetics. From an aesthetic point of view, I don't like some of the ships you build," the president boasted: "They say, 'Oh, it's stealthy,' but that's not stealthy, a ship that looks terrible doesn't need to be called stealthy."

On September 30, 2025, local time, U.S. President Trump delivered a speech to senior military commanders at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia. Visual China

Business Insider pointed out that fully armed battleships were once the core of naval power, built specifically to confront other warships head-on. During the World Wars, they dominated the seas, but their position was later taken over by aircraft carriers.

Those heavily armored ships with powerful cannons on their decks were the pinnacle of naval power for most of the 20th century, because at that time, naval warfare mainly relied on gunfire. Each 16-inch (about 406 mm) gun on a battleship could fire shells weighing about 2,000 pounds (about 900 kg), bringing great firepower to the battlefield.

In the early 1990s, the last U.S. battleship was retired, marking the end of the era of battleships. The last time battleships actually fired in combat was during the Gulf War. Today, not only have battleships been retired for decades, but the form of naval warfare they represented has also become history.

Currently, the eight remaining battleships in the United States are all museum ships distributed across the country. When talking about the advantages of battleships, Trump mentioned the first ship of the Iowa-class battleships, the USS Iowa BB-61, which is now moored in Los Angeles as a museum ship. He also mentioned the 1954 World War II naval documentary "Victory at Sea."

"I look at those ships, they go out with destroyers, man, there was nothing that could stop them," Trump continued: "Some people will say, 'No, that's old technology,' but I'm not sure, when you see those guns, I don't think it's old technology."

The "USS Iowa" battleship Wikipedia

The New Republic周刊 reported that the U.S. Navy has always been a thorn in Trump's side, as the institution is often behind schedule and overspending, which goes against his pursuit of efficiency.

Even during Trump's first term in office, he proposed the "355-ship Navy" plan. At that time, U.S. Defense News noted that the U.S. Navy was undertaking the largest expansion plan since the 1980s, aiming to match Trump's target of 350 navy ships. However, from the current situation, this plan basically failed.

This June, U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan said that Trump's priorities for the military department can be summarized as "build ships, build ships, build ships," a statement that angered defense contractors. Shipping experts said that Trump's dream might cost billions of dollars. Others even believe that "it is destined to fail."

As so-called "liberal" media, The New Republic周刊 unreservedly criticized that unfortunately, Trump actually knows nothing about warships. According to metal supplier Wieland Diversified, aluminum is used in the construction of U.S. warships to reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency. Aluminum also has corrosion resistance and wave resistance properties.

The report stated that additionally, Trump previously incorrectly claimed that magnets lose their effectiveness when placed in water, so placing magnets on ships is "stupid."

Business Insider noted that with the increased killing power and long-range firepower of aircraft carriers, submarines, and missiles, battleships quickly became obsolete, and their high costs and personnel requirements made their efficiency seem very low. In addition, modern naval strategy no longer requires large artillery warships as before.

In future possible combat scenarios, U.S. military officials and planners expect naval forces to face intense missile fire, as well as new surface and underwater threats. They believe having a series of countermeasures against missiles and drones is key to survival, and battleships, at least in their original design, are not suitable for such combat.

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