President Donald Trump is calling for a dramatic overhaul of America’s naval power, proposing what he’s dubbed the “Golden Fleet” to face mounting maritime aggression from China.
According to the Independent, the plan entails a replacement of current warships with a new class of heavily armored vessels outfitted with advanced long-range and potentially hypersonic missiles, signaling Trump’s dissatisfaction with the Navy's present strategy and aesthetics.
Current discussions between the Pentagon and White House officials are focused on the feasibility and design of these next-generation ships, which would weigh between 15,000 to 20,000 tons and serve as the linchpin in bolstering naval readiness and strength in the Pacific theater.
Trump Presses For A Stronger Naval Force
Trump has made no secret of his frustration with the Navy’s modern designs, frequently zeroing in on what he considers to be their uninspiring appearance. During a military summit in Virginia, Trump remarked, “They say, ‘Oh, it’s stealth.’ I said, ‘That’s not stealth.’ An ugly ship is not necessary in order to say you’re stealth.”
It may sound superficial at first, but there’s real strategic depth behind his critique. Modern warships, despite their costly designs and supposed stealth, haven’t been able to deter China’s increasingly aggressive presence in the South China Sea and beyond. Trump’s call for a more formidable and visually imposing fleet makes it clear—he believes presence is power, and power needs to look the part. Navy Secretary John Phelan confirmed the president’s direct involvement, noting that Trump has texted him “numerous times very late at night, sometimes after one in the morning,” expressing concerns about the condition of U.S. Navy ships.
Golden Fleet Symbolizes Strategic Reset
The proposed Golden Fleet isn't just about looks—it’s about capabilities. Retired Navy officer Bryan Clark called it a “battleship of tomorrow,” emphasizing its anticipated arsenal of long-range missiles that would give America a decisive edge at sea.
According to Clark, these warships would form a more lethal, less vulnerable core than the current fleet, which Trump and others say is falling short on both readiness and deterrence capabilities. With Trump expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during his forthcoming visit to Asia, the timing of this proposed naval reboot is more than symbolic—it’s a message backed with steel, propulsion, and precision weaponry.
Backlash From Pentagon Traditionalists
However, not everyone in the defense world is on board with the Golden Fleet just yet. Some naval experts and former military officials are raising red flags about readiness and logistics. Retired naval officer Mark Montgomery cautioned that the administration “should prioritize fixing the current ship maintenance backlog before starting on a new fleet.”
That’s not a fringe concern. The Navy is already dealing with growing pains—rusting hulls, aging equipment, and a strained industrial base. Building a new fleet from scratch without shoring up existing capacity risks repeating the mistakes of the past. Yet Trump seems determined to reset, not just repaint. He sees an opportunity to both reforge the Navy’s strategic identity and finally free it from a system obsessed with low-visibility designs over functional dominance.
Renaming Ships, Resetting Priorities
Meanwhile, symbolic moves are underway within the Navy’s structure. Earlier this year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk, a controversial decision that has sparked a broader debate about identity politics in military institutions.
The Navy confirmed plans to proceed with the renaming in a memo sent from the Secretary of the Navy’s office in June. Renaming ships is an extraordinary move—and in this case, one that underscores just how far Trump’s administration is willing to go to reassert traditional military values and priorities.
There’s no official confirmation yet, but White House spokesperson Anna Kelly hinted something big is on the horizon, stating, “Stay tuned!” and applauding the former president’s commitment to expanding America’s maritime dominance.
Vision, Not Vanity
In fairness, not all criticism of Trump’s plan lacks merit. Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper once pushed back on Trump’s concerns over a ship’s aesthetic, writing in his memoir that warships “are built to fight and win, not win beauty contests.”
That’s a clever line—though hardly a convincing argument against designing ships to both intimidate and perform. The Golden Fleet isn’t about vanity; it’s about projecting American strength in ways our adversaries understand and respect. As the Navy navigates calls for reform, Trump’s plan may be the wave of the future—or the wake-up call the Pentagon didn’t know it needed. Either way, he's turned the throttle back to full ahead.
