President Trump announces major military policy reversals aboard USS George Washington in Japan, pledging to return aircraft carriers to steam catapults and hydraulic elevators after polling sailors directly. Also revealed: immediate missile delivery to Japan, $17 trillion in foreign investment, and claims of ending 8 wars in 8 months.
Summarization assistance by Claude AI.
Summary
President Donald Trump delivered a wide-ranging speech to thousands of American and Japanese military personnel aboard the USS George Washington in Japan today, marking the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary. Standing alongside Japan’s first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Trump announced the immediate delivery of missiles to Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, revealed plans to reverse Navy technology decisions on aircraft carriers, and claimed his administration has ended eight wars in eight months while securing over $17 trillion in foreign investment. The president also promised pay raises for service members, announced that sailors would receive full family separation pay despite returning early for the event, and outlined aggressive plans to restore American shipbuilding capacity while using tariffs as tools for both economic leverage and conflict prevention.
Participants
- Donald Trump – President of the United States
- Sanae Takaichi – Prime Minister of Japan (first female prime minister in Japanese history)
- Pete Hegseth – Secretary of War (formerly Secretary of Defense)
- Marco Rubio – Secretary of State (former U.S. Senator)
- George Glass – U.S. Ambassador
- Admiral Samuel Paparo – Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
- General Stephen Jost – Commander, U.S. Forces Japan
- Vice Admiral Fred Kacher – Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet
- Rear Admiral Eric “Pappy” Anduze – Commander, Carrier Strike Group Five
- Captain Timothy Waits – Commanding Officer, USS George Washington
- Captain Patrick Blind – Executive Officer, USS George Washington
- Command Master Chief Tony Roberts – USS George Washington
- Naval Air Crewman 3rd Class James McCall – Rescue hero
- Chief Warrant Officer Will Hightower – Deck Department, USS George Washington
- Thousands of U.S. Navy sailors and Japanese Self-Defense Forces personnel
Opening Remarks and U.S.-Japan Alliance
Trump opened with characteristic enthusiasm, calling the assembled troops “champions” and “winners” as the crowd chanted “USA.” He praised the USS George Washington as a “forward-deployed symbol of American might, power and prestige,” noting the carrier’s 100,000-ton displacement. Trump emphasized the transformation of American standing in just over a year: “A year and a half ago, we had a different country than we do right now. Now we’re the most respected country in the world.”
The president introduced Pete Hegseth, whom he described as having given up “millions of dollars” at Fox to become Secretary of War. Trump recalled: “Every time I’d go on that show, all he wanted to talk about is the military. And I said, ‘You know, if I ever do this, I’m gonna bring this guy along with me.’” Trump praised Hegseth’s effectiveness, particularly on drug interdiction: “Those drug ships aren’t coming in anymore. We can’t find a ship.”
Acknowledging the “hundreds of our incredible Japanese partners” present, Trump celebrated the bilateral relationship: “The cherished alliance between the United States and Japan is one of the most remarkable relationships in the entire world.” He noted that both countries’ stock markets hit all-time highs that day, adding: “That means we’re doing something right.”
Prime Minister Takaichi’s Address
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivered remarks in both Japanese and English, marking a historic moment as Japan’s first female prime minister. Speaking on the U.S. Navy’s “semiquincentennial anniversary,” she expressed “heartfelt respect and sincere gratitude” to service members from both nations.
Takaichi invoked the legacy of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, recalling that six years earlier at the same location in Yokosuka, Abe and Trump “demonstrated their resolve that Japan and the United States would join hands to ensure peace and security in this region.” She renewed that commitment: “I have renewed my determination to carry forward that resolve and to make the Indo-Pacific free and open.”
Addressing current security challenges, the Prime Minister warned: “We are now facing an unprecedented, severe security environment. Peace cannot be preserved by words alone. It can be protected only when there is an unwavering determination and action.”
She highlighted the multi-layered cooperation between Japanese and American forces, noting joint exercises between the USS George Washington and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels Mogami and Maya, as well as the support provided by logistics and maintenance personnel in Yokosuka. Takaichi pledged to “fundamentally reinforce” Japan’s defense capabilities and “elevate the Japan-US Alliance, which has already become the greatest alliance in the world to even greater, greater heights.”
Her remarks concluded with a poetic vision: “Japan and the United States will advance together, with our sails raised high across a free and open sea.”
Major Policy Announcements
Missile Delivery to Japan
Immediately following Takaichi’s remarks, Trump announced a significant defense development: “I’m delighted to report that I’ve just approved the first batch of missiles” for Japan’s F-35 fighters. He noted that some missiles “were coming down with me. I hugged them. We need them. They’re the best in the world.”
The president emphasized the expedited timeline: “They’re ahead of schedules. I just want to tell Madam Prime Minister. They’ve been waiting for those missiles and we got ’em here right away as soon as I heard about it.”
Military Technology Reversal: Catapults and Elevators
In one of the speech’s most detailed policy segments, Trump announced his intention to reverse recent Navy technology decisions, directly soliciting feedback from the sailors present.
On Catapults: Trump polled the crew on whether steam or electric catapults were superior. The overwhelming response favored steam. “You know, they go out, hire a consultant for millions of dollars that was never on an aircraft carrier before, so they switched to electric. I disagree with it,” Trump said. He criticized the newer technology: “When it breaks, you have to send up to MIT, get the most brilliant people in the world, fly ’em out. It’s ridiculous. The steam, they, they say they can fix it with a hammer and a blowtorch.”
Trump referenced the USS Ford’s cost overruns: “They spent $993 million on the catapults trying to get them to work, and they had steam, which worked so beautifully.”
On Elevators: Similarly, Trump polled sailors on hydraulic versus magnetic elevator systems. Again, the response favored the traditional technology. “Instead of using hydraulic that you can be hit by lightning and it’s fine, you take a little glass of water and you drop it on magnets, I don’t know what’s gonna happen,” Trump explained.
Executive Order Promise: “I’m gonna sign an executive order. When we build aircraft carriers, it’s steam for the catapults and it’s hydraulic for the elevators. We’ll never have a problem, okay?” The sailors responded: “Aye aye, sir.”
Trump emphasized his seriousness: “I’m not gonna let them continue to do this now. They’re trying to make it work. They’re trying so hard and they have something that’s perfect. So we’re gonna go back on that and the magnets.”
Personnel and Pay
Trump announced “an across-the-board pay raise for every sailor and service member in the United States Armed Forces,” though he added with humor: “Now, if you don’t want it, you want to give back to your country, just let us know, we won’t give it to you.”
In a particularly well-received announcement, Trump addressed family separation pay: “I heard that the sailors on the George Washington took a hit to your family separation pay… by returning to the port, you returned early for this event. I am delighted to announce that as your sort of boss… At my direction, we’re going to make sure that you receive the full amount that you were owed for the deployment.”
Economic Achievements and Trade Policy
Investment and Manufacturing
Trump made sweeping claims about economic progress: “We have more than, think of this, $17 trillion, trillion with a T, pouring into the United States of America from all over the world. And that’s the biggest number in the history of any country.” He contrasted this with the previous administration: “The last administration did less than a trillion in four years. We did 17, more than 17 trillion in eight months.”
The president projected even higher figures: “I think by the time we finish up our first year, we’re gonna be over $20 or $21 trillion of money coming into our country.”
On Japan specifically: Trump thanked Japan for “making big investments into the United States,” and announced: “I was just told by the prime minister that Toyota is going to be putting auto plants all over the United States to the tune of over $10 billion.”
Shipbuilding Renaissance
Addressing naval manufacturing capacity, Trump acknowledged: “We used to be number one at making ships and then we lost our way. But now, we’re starting to make ships again.” He cited the Philadelphia yards as an example: “Philadelphia yards, as an example, is now owned by a group that’s gonna be making a lot of ships.”
Trump also announced collaboration with Japan: “We’re gonna be working also with Japan on making ships. We’re gonna make a lot of ships again.”
Tariffs as Policy Tools
Trump extensively defended his tariff strategy: “The tariffs have been so good… Nobody understood tariffs like I understood tariffs.” He argued tariffs bring “jobs with it. It brings jobs, it brings importance, it brings everything. It brings a strong military.”
He provided a specific example of tariffs preventing conflict: “If you look at some of the deals that we did, if, uh, India was going to go to war with Pakistan and I say, ‘You go to war, we’re not gonna do any trade.’ We was gonna put big tariffs on both countries. And they said, ‘Well, I guess we’re not gonna go to war.’ Two nuclear powers, we stopped it.”
Trump emphasized: “Without tariffs, we wouldn’t have national security like we have it.”
Military Readiness and Recruiting
Trump celebrated a turnaround in military recruitment: “After years of recruiting shortages, and we had bad ones, it was embarrassing, frankly. During my campaign, before the election, November 5th, after that, it all changed… And now we have waiting lists, with record numbers, trying to join the US Navy.”
He specifically noted: “2025 was the Navy’s single best recruiting year in many generations.”
The president attributed this to restored national spirit: “After we won, it all changed… The spirit of our military has been soaring like never before.”
Merit-Based Standards
Trump addressed recent policy changes: “We wanted the Supreme Court to think based on merit. You know about that, right? Merit. Everything now in our country is based on merit. And that’s why I look at you and I see nothing but merit. It’s great to have a country back where we can go by merit now.”
Border Security and Drug Interdiction
Southern Border
Trump claimed unprecedented border security: “On my first day back in the White House, I deployed the men and women of the United States military to stop the invasion on our southern border… And now we have the most secure border in American history. For five months, they said zero, no people came into our country illegally.”
He characterized the previous situation as catastrophic: “25 million people poured into our country, totally unvetted, totally unchecked. They came from prisons, they came from mental institutions and insane asylum. They were drug dealers. They were bad people. 11,388 were murderers, half of which committed more than one murder.”
Drug Cartel Operations
Trump praised military operations against drug trafficking: “You’ve been watching what our missiles do to boats and ships and submarines.” He claimed each interdicted vessel “kill on average 25,000 people, American people, every single year.”
The president credited Pete Hegseth: “I want to thank Pete for having the courage to do it.”
Trump claimed success: “We’re knocking ’em out one by one. And very importantly, we’ve stopped, almost stopped completely, the drugs coming in by sea. And now we’ll stop the drugs coming in by land.”
War Cessation Claims
Trump made extraordinary claims about conflict resolution: “I ended eight wars in eight months, the most of any president in history. No president that we know has ever ended any war.”
He listed specific conflicts:
– Kosovo and Serbia
– Congo and Rwanda
– Pakistan and India
– Israel and Iran – “Those B-2 bombers… went in there, they took out that nuclear capability. They would’ve had — Iran would’ve had a nuclear weapon within two months.”
– Egypt and Ethiopia
– Armenia and Azerbaijan – “That was going on for 35 years.”
– Gaza/Middle East – “Just this month, we ended the war in Gaza in the Middle East.”
– Cambodia and Thailand – “Just signed a deal in Malaysia”
Trump emphasized his methodology: “I did it mostly verbally. We didn’t have to get you involved… We stopped a lot of those wars based on trade and tariffs and penalties.”
Domestic Security Initiatives
Washington D.C.
Trump highlighted crime reduction in the nation’s capital: “Washington D.C., our beautiful capital, was a, a killing mess. People getting killed all the time. It was very high crime. And we sent in our National Guard.”
He claimed rapid results: “It took 12 days, we got 1700 people, career criminals, many of which came in through Biden’s open border… Now it’s as safe as there is anywhere in the country.”
Memphis and Chicago
Trump announced ongoing operations: “Now we’re starting in Memphis. And Memphis was a disaster. It’s been there, they’ve been there for two weeks, and it’s a whole different story. Crime is less than half, and within a month, it’ll be gone.”
On Chicago: “We’re gonna go into Chicago, we’re gonna go into our cities, we’re gonna clean ’em out, we’re gonna straighten ’em out, and we are gonna have safe cities.” He criticized local resistance: “It would be nice to have more help from some of the Democrat governors.”
Trump provided specific statistics: “In Chicago, two weeks ago, four people murdered, 11 people shot. This weekend, it was like terrible, much worse than that.”
Personal Tributes and Human Interest
James McCall’s Rescue
Trump honored Naval Air Crewman 3rd Class James McCall, who participated in a dramatic rescue: “Two years ago… James McCall was just a few months into his first fleet tour with the Golden Falcons Helicopter Squadron, when he and his crew were called on a search and rescue mission to find three missing navy divers.”
The divers were “stranded at sea, and right off the Japanese coast, they were exhausted, and assuming they were going to die.” McCall “was able to find and help rescue all three divers in the water below, saving his fellow sailors.”
Trump invited McCall on stage, where the young sailor briefly addressed the crowd: “I appreciate all my fellow shipmates. What I did back then in Iwakuni, it was heartbreaking for losing those loved ones down there, but we brought some back whenever we went down there. And just God bless America and all my fellow shipmates.”
Will Hightower’s Sacrifice
Trump recognized Chief Warrant Officer Will Hightower of the Deck department, who “sailed away from Norfolk, leaving behind his wonderful wife, Megan, their precious 6-year-old daughter, and their 1-year-old son. In the past 12 months, he has only been home for three weeks total.”
Trump noted that Hightower’s tour ends in February, “just in time for his daughter’s birthday.” When called forward, Hightower confirmed the deployment felt “amazing” and that he and his wife still love each other “every day.”
Aircraft Carrier Operations and Aviation
Trump discussed the difficulty of carrier operations: “They say the hardest thing to do is landing a plane on an aircraft carrier… Great pilots can do everything. They’re great pilots, but they can’t do that. It’s a very special talent.”
He described the challenge: “This ship is so big. But when you’re up there in the Pacific with the Atlantic and the waves are crashing and it’s getting dark, or it is dark… they say it looks like a little needle in the ocean.”
Trump praised the carrier air wing and various squadrons aboard, including “the Royal Maces, the Diamond Bat, the Argonauts, the Chippies, the Titans, the Tiger Tails, the Shadowhawks, and the Saberhawks.”
Economic Indicators and Inflation
Trump claimed major progress on cost of living: “Energy costs are way down. Gasoline prices are way down. Grocery prices are way down. We have a little problem with beef. We’re gonna get that down very quickly… Mortgage rates are down.”
He criticized Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell: “Despite having an incompetent head of the Fed. I call him Too Late. He’s always too late. He’s too late in lowering interest rates. So I call him Jerome Too Late Powell.”
Trump claimed success despite this obstacle: “We just — we, we blow through it ’cause we’re doing so well. Inflation has been defeated and workers’ wages are raising at the fastest pace in 60 years.”
Naval History and Legacy
Marking the Navy’s 250th anniversary, Trump referenced a recent display at Naval Station Norfolk: “Three weeks ago, Melania and I flew to Naval Station Norfolk… and witnessed an unforgettable display of pure American dominance… from the thunderous roar of the guided missile, destroyers… to the spectacular side of nuclear submarines all over the place, to the unstoppable force of another great American aircraft carrier.”
He emphasized American naval superiority: “No enemy will ever even dream of threatening America’s navy. There’s no Navy even close. Not even close.”
Trump invoked the ship’s namesake: “For two and a half centuries, America’s Navy is preserved the vision of our first commander-in-chief who gave this ship its storied name… ‘First in war, first in peace.’ Very famous phrase, George Washington.”
Gulf of America
In a notable aside, Trump discussed his renaming of the Gulf of Mexico: “From the Persian Gulf to what is now known as the Gulf of America. Isn’t it nice? They say it now routinely. I heard the news today, ‘The Gulf of America weather is wonderful.’”
He explained his reasoning: “For many years, I said, why is it called the Gulf of Mexico when we seem to have the shore? Well, we do, we have 92% of the shoreline.” Trump noted legal challenges were unsuccessful: “We got sued all over the place, we won every suit, and it’s now officially the Gulf of America.”
Military Budget
Trump announced: “We just approved the biggest budget in the history. Over a trillion dollars. Over a trillion dollars. We have the best ships, the best airplanes, the best submarines, the best technology.”
He emphasized the human element: “Above all, we have America’s military. It’s, uh, the best people. It’s all about the people, ultimately, who have to work all of that fancy stuff that we make better than anybody else.”
Closing Remarks
Trump concluded with patriotic rhetoric about American renewal: “After 250 years, that is exactly what our country is today. It’s first in war, first in peace, first in wealth, first in power, first in science, first in spirit, and first in freedom. And we went through four bad years, but now America will always be first again.”
He emphasized restored international respect: “They’re respecting us again, they respect us like never before. The treatment they gave me all over as I go around to different countries is great, but it’s really a respect for me, but it’s a bigger respect for our country.”
Trump ended with naval tradition and a call to action: “We rally to that mortal battle cry of the American sailor. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead, right? Together with our incredible Japanese allies and all of our allies all over the world, we stand strong, we stand proud… And we will fight, fight, fight, and we will win, win, win.”
His final words: “God bless our military, God bless Japan, God bless the United States of America and God bless our Navy. Thank you everybody, thank you.”
MLA Citation
FiscalNote, Roll Call. “Speech: Donald Trump Addresses the Troops on the USS George Washington in Japan – October 28, 2025.” Roll Call Factba.se, 28 Oct. 2025, rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-speech-uss-george-washington-troops-japan-october-28-2025/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.