Donald J. Trump Forty-Fifth President
(2017 to 2021)
Remarks About Future of U.S. Military March 2, 2017 - USS Gerald R. Ford
(Video courtesy of DoD News with editing by USA Patriotism!)
Text Version
Thank you. Thank you very much. What an honor. They just gave me
this beautiful jacket. They said, here, Mr. President, please take
this home. I said, let me wear it. (Laughter.) And then they gave me
the beautiful hat, and I said, you know, maybe I'll do that. We have
a great "Make America Great Again" hat, but I said, this is a
special day, we're wearing this. Right? (Applause.) I have no idea
how it looks, but I think it looks good. It's a great-looking hat --
just like this is a great-looking ship.
Thank you. I'm
privileged to stand here today with the incredible men and women of
the United States Navy. (Applause.) American sailors are the best
warfighting sailors anywhere in the world. And it's not even close.
And, Susan, I am so glad you could be with us. I know how hard you
work -- 17 visits. And she wanted things done right, I will tell
you. They told me she wanted this one done right, in honor of both
of her parents, who were great, great people. And we wanted to
introduce this beautiful vessel to the American people. And I wanted
to be here, I wanted to be with you. So, Susan, and to your family
-- unbelievable job. Unbelievable. (Applause.)
The
soon-to-be commissioned Gerald R. Ford USS -- what a place. It
really feels like a place. You stand on that deck, and you feel like
you're standing on a very big piece of land. But this is better than
land. It will not only be a great symbol of American strength, but a
great legacy for your father, and our former President, Gerald Ford.
President Ford was a Navy man. By the way, he was also a great
athlete, for those of you that didn’t know. He saw action in the
South Pacific during World War II. He served this country with honor
-- in the military, in Congress, and in the White House. The proud
dignity of this ship is a fitting tribute to Gerald Ford, the man
and the President.
Congratulations to all of the men and
women who helped build it. This is American craftsmanship at its
biggest, at its best, at its finest. American workers are the
greatest anywhere in the world. This warship, and all who serve on
it, should be a source of shared pride for our nation. We are joined
today -- (applause) -- better believe it, right? Better believe it.
(Applause.) Better believe it. And, by the way, we're going to soon
have more coming. We'll have more coming. (Applause.)
We are
joined today by General Mattis, now Secretary Mattis -- (applause)
-- where is he? -- who will be charged with overseeing this great
rebuilding of our military might. We will give the men and women of
America’s armed services the resources you need to keep us safe. We
will have the finest equipment in the world -- planes, ships and
everything else. We are going to have, very soon, the finest
equipment in the world. (Applause.)
We will give our military
the tools you need to prevent war and, if required, to fight war and
only do one thing -- you know what that is? Win! Win! (Applause.)
We're going to start winning again.
Admiral John Richardson,
Chief of Naval Operations, is with us today as well -- great
gentleman. Admiral, we're going to ensure our Navy has the
resources, personnel training and equipment -- the kind of equipment
that you need. So, congratulations, Admiral. And a lot more is
coming. (Applause.)
Let me congratulate Captain Richard
McCormack, Commanding Officer of the Gerald R. Ford. This ship will
make an extraordinary addition to the fleet like no other -- like no
other. Anywhere in the world there's nothing like this. It
represents the future of naval aviation. I have no greater privilege
than to serve as your Commander-in-Chief and the Commander-in-Chief
of the men and women of the United States military. Great people.
(Applause.) Great, great people.
I salute you, and I salute
our sailors. I will always support you and your mission. I will
never, ever let you down. And I also have to recognize Mike Petters,
President and CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries along with Matt
Mulherin, President of Newport News Shipbuilding. (Applause.) They
won't let you down either. (Applause.) They're not going to let you
down either. (Applause.)
To those who serve our nation in
uniform and to those who build the instruments of our defense, I
thank you on behalf of our nation.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: U-S-A!
THE PRESIDENT: (Laughter.) I agree, I agree. (Laughter.)
Our carriers are the centerpiece of American military might
overseas. We are standing today on 4.5 acres of combat power and
sovereign U.S. territory, the likes of which there is nothing to
compete. There is no competition to this ship. It is a monument to
American might that will provide the strength necessary to ensure
peace. This ship will carry 4,500 personnel and 70 aircraft, and
will be a vital component of our defense. This carrier and the new
ships in the Ford class will expand the ability of our nation to
carry out vital missions on the oceans to project American power in
distant lands. Hopefully, it's power we don’t have to use, but if we
do, they're in big, big trouble. (Applause.)
This great
aircraft carrier provides essential capabilities to keep us safe
from terrorism and take the fight to the enemy for many years in the
future. The great Admiral Nimitz, who commanded the U.S. Pacific
fleet through the Second World War, once said, "It is the function
of the Navy to carry the war to the enemy so that we'll not be
fought on U.S. soil." True. (Applause.) And it was under Admiral
Nimitz's command 75 years ago this June that the Navy did just that
at the Battle of Midway. You've all known about the Battle of
Midway, where the sailors of the U.S. Navy fought with the bravery
that will be remembered throughout the ages. Storied bravery
throughout the ages.
The backbone of the American fleet at
Midway was three beautiful aircraft carriers: the Yorktown, the
Enterprise and the Hornet. All three were built with American hands
right here at the Newport News Shipyard. (Applause.) At Midway,
America was greatly outnumbered by, I mean, a lot -- (laughter) --
and its fleet badly damaged. But the heroic deeds changed the course
of history. Many brave Americans died that day, and, through their
sacrifice, they turned the tide of the Pacific War. It was a tough
tide, it was a big tide, it was a vicious tide, and they turned it.
Countless other Americans in that war, some of them parents and
grandparents to people in this room today, came home thanks to their
very heroic deeds. The sailors at Midway are part of a long line of
American heroes, an unbroken chain of patriots from each generation
to the next, who rose to defend our flag and our freedom.
That legacy continues today as American warriors protect our people
from the threat of terrorism. On Tuesday, in my address to a joint
session of Congress, I asked Congress to eliminate the defense
sequester and to support my request for a great rebuilding of the
United States military and the United States Navy. (Applause.)
After years of endless budget cuts that have impaired our
defenses, I am calling for one of the largest defense-spending
increases in history. And by eliminating the sequester and the
uncertainty it creates, we will make it easier for the Navy to plan
for the future and thus to control costs and get the best deals for
the taxpayer, which, of course, is very important, right? Got to get
a good deal. If we don’t make a good deal, we’re not doing our job.
The same boat for less money. The same ship for less money.
The same airplanes for less money. That’s what we’re doing. That’s
what we’re doing. Means we’re going to get more of them, and we can
use them.
Our military requires sustained, stable funding to
meet the growing needs placed on our defense. Right now, our aging
frontline strike and strike-fighters -- the whole aircraft; many,
many aircraft -- are often more likely to be downed for maintenance
than they are to be up in the sky. Our Navy is now the smallest it’s
been since, believe it or not, World War I. Don’t worry, it's going
to soon be the largest it’s been. Don’t worry. (Applause.) Think of
that. Think of that.
In these troubled times, our Navy is the
smallest it’s been since World War I. That’s a long time ago. In
fact, I just spoke with Navy and industry leaders and have discussed
my plans to undertake a major expansion of our entire Navy fleet,
including having the 12-carrier Navy we need. (Applause.)
We
also need more aircraft, modernized capabilities, and greater force
levels. Additionally, we must vastly improve our cyber capabilities.
This great rebuilding effort will create many jobs in Virginia, and
all across America, and it will also spur new technology and new
innovation.
America has always been the country that boldly
leads the world into the future, and my budget will ensure we do so
and continue to do exactly that. American ships will sail the seas.
American planes will soar the skies. American workers will build our
fleets. (Applause.) And America’s military will ensure that even
though the darkest nights and throughout, a bright and glowing sun
will always shine on our nation and on our people. Our Navy is
great. Our Navy is great. Our people are great. Great. (Applause.)
Our Republic will meet any challenge, defeat any danger,
face any threat, and always seek true and lasting peace.
May
God bless our military. May God bless our Navy. May God bless the
wonderful Gerald Ford family. And may God continue to bless the
United States of America. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
