President Donald Trump unveiled a new class of so-called “battleships” on Monday, but his plans are already hitting rough waters on social media.
In remarks from his Mar-a-Lago estate, the president claimed that the two “Trump Class” military vessels would be the “fastest, the biggest and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built.”
Trump described himself as a “very aesthetic person” while noting that he, along with the U.S. Navy, would work on the design of the vessels. Trump said the administration aims to make up to 25 of the ships, thus adding to its goal of creating a “Golden Fleet.”
Renderings of the “USS Defiant” showed a vessel firing what appeared to be a laser beam and launching missiles. The vessel featured an illustrated logo of Trump raising his fist, as he did in the moments after the assassination attempt on him in Butler, Penn., last year.
Critics on social media, including author and media pundit Malcolm Nance, a retired U.S. Navy intelligence officer, pilloried Trump over the ship plans.
“WHOEVER DESIGNED THE TRUMP CLASS ‘BATTLESHIP’ GOT THE DESIGN FROM GI JOE,” Nance wrote.