WEBVTT 00:00.621 --> 00:04.176 - It is a high honor to introduce and welcome 00:04.176 --> 00:07.093 to Dad's namesake aircraft carrier, 00:07.350 --> 00:11.517 the 45th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump. 00:14.200 --> 00:16.450 (applause) 00:35.267 --> 00:38.668 - Thank you, thank you very much, what an honor, 00:38.668 --> 00:40.744 you know, they just gave me this beautiful jacket, 00:40.744 --> 00:43.915 they said here Mr President, please take this home. 00:43.915 --> 00:46.867 I said let me wear it, and then they gave me 00:46.867 --> 00:48.820 the beautiful hat, and I said, 00:48.820 --> 00:50.806 you know, maybe I'll do that, 00:50.806 --> 00:53.976 we have a great make America great again hat, 00:53.976 --> 00:58.102 but I said this is a special day, we're wearing this, right? 00:58.102 --> 01:02.269 So, I have no idea how it looks, but I think it looks good, 01:03.070 --> 01:04.468 it's a great looking hat, 01:04.468 --> 01:07.454 just like this is a great looking ship. 01:07.454 --> 01:10.004 Thank you, I'm privileged to stand here today 01:10.004 --> 01:14.171 with the incredible men and women of the United States Navy. 01:15.484 --> 01:17.734 (applause) 01:19.045 --> 01:22.714 American sailors are the best war-fighting sailors 01:22.714 --> 01:26.631 anywhere in the world, and it's not even close. 01:27.067 --> 01:30.311 And Susan, I am so glad you could be with us, 01:30.311 --> 01:33.061 I know how hard you work, 17 visits, 01:33.061 --> 01:36.384 and she wanted things done right, I will tell you, 01:36.384 --> 01:39.573 they told me, she wanted this one done right in honor 01:39.573 --> 01:42.899 of both of her parents who were great, great people. 01:42.899 --> 01:46.198 And we wanted to introduce this beautiful vessel 01:46.198 --> 01:48.493 to the American people, and I wanted to be here, 01:48.493 --> 01:52.194 I wanted to be with you, so Susan, and to your family, 01:52.194 --> 01:54.777 unbelievable job, unbelievable. 01:54.929 --> 01:57.179 (applause) 01:58.583 --> 02:02.500 The soon to be commissioned Gerald R. Ford USS, 02:03.371 --> 02:06.954 what a place, it really feels like a place, 02:07.442 --> 02:09.705 you stand on that deck and you feel like 02:09.705 --> 02:12.188 you're standing on a very big piece of land, 02:12.188 --> 02:14.291 but this is better than land. 02:14.291 --> 02:17.013 It will not only be a great symbol of American strength, 02:17.013 --> 02:19.629 but a great legacy for your father 02:19.629 --> 02:22.796 and our former president, Gerald Ford. 02:23.702 --> 02:27.202 President Ford was a Navy man, by the way, 02:27.430 --> 02:29.445 he was also a great athlete, 02:29.445 --> 02:31.604 for those of you that didn't know. 02:31.604 --> 02:35.417 He saw action in the South Pacific during World War Two, 02:35.417 --> 02:37.412 he served this country with honor 02:37.412 --> 02:41.179 in the military in Congress, and in the White House. 02:41.179 --> 02:42.919 The proud dignity of this ship 02:42.919 --> 02:45.605 is a fitting tribute to Gerald Ford, 02:45.605 --> 02:49.688 the man and the president, congratulations to all 02:50.791 --> 02:53.404 of the men and women who helped build it. 02:53.404 --> 02:57.237 This is American craftsmanship at its biggest, 02:57.821 --> 03:00.071 at its best, at its finest. 03:01.868 --> 03:06.035 American workers are the greatest anywhere in the world, 03:06.407 --> 03:09.333 this warship and all who serve on it 03:09.333 --> 03:13.500 should be a source of shared pride for our nation. 03:14.804 --> 03:17.902 We're joined today, better believe it, right? 03:17.902 --> 03:18.999 Better believe it. 03:18.999 --> 03:20.180 (applause) 03:20.180 --> 03:21.680 Better believe it. 03:26.351 --> 03:29.133 And, by the way, we're gonna soon have more coming, 03:29.133 --> 03:30.096 have more coming. 03:30.096 --> 03:32.346 (applause) 03:38.398 --> 03:42.565 We are joined today by General Mattis, now secretary Mattis, 03:44.755 --> 03:45.755 where is he? 03:45.829 --> 03:48.079 (applause) 03:51.407 --> 03:53.094 Who will be charged with overseeing 03:53.094 --> 03:56.761 this great rebuilding of our military might, 03:56.826 --> 04:00.223 we will give the men and women of America's armed services 04:00.223 --> 04:03.473 the resources you need to keep us safe, 04:04.334 --> 04:08.251 we will have the finest equipment in the world, 04:09.573 --> 04:13.740 planes, ships, and everything else, we are going to have, 04:15.041 --> 04:18.791 very soon, the finest equipment in the world. 04:20.558 --> 04:22.808 (applause) 04:25.670 --> 04:29.050 We will give our military the tools you need to prevent war, 04:29.050 --> 04:33.217 and, if required, to fight war, and only do one thing, 04:34.328 --> 04:36.995 you know what that is? Win, win. 04:40.016 --> 04:42.440 We're gonna start winning again. 04:42.440 --> 04:46.607 Admiral John Richardson, chief of naval operations, 04:47.064 --> 04:50.457 is with us today as well, great gentleman. 04:50.457 --> 04:53.716 Admiral, we're going to ensure our Navy has the resources, 04:53.716 --> 04:56.549 personnel training, and equipment, 04:57.192 --> 05:00.726 the kind of equipment that you need, so congratulations, 05:00.726 --> 05:03.505 Admiral, and a lot more is coming. 05:03.505 --> 05:05.755 (applause) 05:09.990 --> 05:13.782 Let me congratulate Captain Richard McCormack, 05:13.782 --> 05:17.199 commanding officer of the Gerald R. Ford, 05:17.441 --> 05:21.608 this ship will make an extraordinary addition to the fleet, 05:22.187 --> 05:25.273 like no other, like no other, anywhere in the world, 05:25.273 --> 05:27.061 there's nothing like this. 05:27.061 --> 05:30.644 It represents the future of naval aviation. 05:31.547 --> 05:34.177 I have no greater privilege than to serve 05:34.177 --> 05:36.427 as your commander in chief, 05:36.684 --> 05:40.601 and the commander in chief of the men and women 05:40.964 --> 05:43.248 of the United States military, 05:43.248 --> 05:45.653 great people, great, great people. 05:45.653 --> 05:47.903 (applause) 05:53.036 --> 05:56.286 I salute you, and I salute our sailors. 05:57.734 --> 06:01.298 I will always support you and your mission, 06:01.298 --> 06:03.965 I will never, ever let you down, 06:04.432 --> 06:07.932 and I also have to recognize Mike Petters, 06:08.417 --> 06:12.584 president and CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries, 06:12.849 --> 06:14.932 along with Matt Mulherin, 06:15.154 --> 06:18.404 president of Newport News Shipbuilding, 06:18.977 --> 06:20.292 they won't let you down, either. 06:20.292 --> 06:21.379 (applause) 06:21.379 --> 06:24.629 They're not gonna let you down, either. 06:24.970 --> 06:27.848 To those who server our nation in uniform, 06:27.848 --> 06:31.197 and to those who build the instruments of our defense, 06:31.197 --> 06:34.197 I thank you on behalf of our nation. 06:36.648 --> 06:38.065 I agree, I agree. 06:41.866 --> 06:44.533 Our carriers are the centerpiece 06:44.788 --> 06:47.711 of American military might overseas, 06:47.711 --> 06:50.935 we are standing today on four and a half acres 06:50.935 --> 06:54.518 of combat power and sovereign US territory, 06:55.657 --> 06:59.574 the likes of which there is nothing to compete, 07:00.031 --> 07:03.114 there is no competition to this ship. 07:04.121 --> 07:06.588 It is a monument to American might 07:06.588 --> 07:10.755 that will provide the strength necessary to ensure peace. 07:12.789 --> 07:16.956 This ship will carry 4500 personnel and 70 aircraft, 07:18.635 --> 07:22.385 and will be a vital component of our defense. 07:22.665 --> 07:26.193 This carrier and the new ships in the Ford class 07:26.193 --> 07:29.353 will expand the ability of our nation to carry out 07:29.353 --> 07:31.686 vital missions on the oceans 07:32.295 --> 07:35.878 to project American power in distant lands. 07:37.407 --> 07:40.990 Hopefully, its power, we don't have to use, 07:41.332 --> 07:44.915 but if we do, they're in big, big, trouble. 07:45.572 --> 07:47.822 (applause) 07:54.639 --> 07:58.114 This great aircraft carrier provides essential capabilities 07:58.114 --> 08:00.616 to keep us safe from terrorism, 08:00.616 --> 08:02.288 and take the fight to the enemy 08:02.288 --> 08:04.705 for many years in the future. 08:05.498 --> 08:09.665 The great Admiral Nimitz who commanded the US Pacific fleet 08:10.558 --> 08:13.808 through the Second World War once said: 08:14.083 --> 08:16.524 It is the function of the Navy to carry the war 08:16.524 --> 08:20.691 to the enemy so that will not be fought on US soil. 08:22.812 --> 08:23.645 True. 08:23.845 --> 08:26.095 (applause) 08:28.604 --> 08:32.430 And it was under Admiral Nimitz' command 75 years ago 08:32.430 --> 08:35.597 this June that the Navy did just that, 08:36.624 --> 08:38.233 at the Battle of Midway, 08:38.233 --> 08:41.444 you've all known about the Battle of Midway, 08:41.444 --> 08:45.311 where the sailors of the US Navy fought with a bravery 08:45.311 --> 08:48.978 that will be remembered throughout the ages, 08:51.258 --> 08:54.341 storied bravery, throughout the ages. 08:55.899 --> 08:59.217 The backbone of the American fleet at Midway 08:59.217 --> 09:01.723 was three beautiful aircraft carriers, 09:01.723 --> 09:05.473 the Yorktown, the Enterprise, and the Hornet. 09:06.532 --> 09:09.755 All three were built with American hands 09:09.755 --> 09:13.088 right here at the Newport News Shipyard. 09:14.165 --> 09:16.415 (applause) 09:21.972 --> 09:25.805 At Midway, America was greatly outnumbered by, 09:27.060 --> 09:30.727 I mean, a lot, and it's fleet badly damaged, 09:33.608 --> 09:37.775 but the heroic deeds changed the course of history. 09:38.751 --> 09:41.393 Many brave Americans died that day, 09:41.393 --> 09:43.541 and through their sacrifice, 09:43.541 --> 09:46.874 they turned the tide of the Pacific War. 09:48.007 --> 09:50.465 It was a tough tide, it was a big tide, 09:50.465 --> 09:53.757 it was a vicious tide, and they turned it. 09:53.757 --> 09:55.824 Countless other Americans in that war, 09:55.824 --> 09:57.807 some of them parents and grandparents 09:57.807 --> 10:00.035 to people in this room today, 10:00.035 --> 10:03.702 came home thanks to their very heroic deeds. 10:04.718 --> 10:07.820 The sailors at Midway are part of a long line 10:07.820 --> 10:11.903 of American heroes, an unbroken chain of patriots 10:12.479 --> 10:15.125 from each generation to the next, 10:15.125 --> 10:18.792 who rose to defend our flag and our freedom. 10:21.740 --> 10:24.694 That legacy continues today as American warriors 10:24.694 --> 10:28.694 protect our people from the threat of terrorism. 10:29.830 --> 10:33.997 On Tuesday in my address to a joint session of Congress, 10:34.952 --> 10:39.119 I asked Congress to eliminate the defense sequester 10:39.580 --> 10:42.982 and to support my request for a great rebuilding 10:42.982 --> 10:47.149 of the United States military and the United States Navy. 10:47.289 --> 10:49.539 (applause) 10:57.250 --> 11:00.083 After years of endless bugets cuts 11:00.287 --> 11:02.954 that have impaired our defenses, 11:03.284 --> 11:06.078 I am calling for one of the largest defense spending 11:06.078 --> 11:07.828 increases in history. 11:08.792 --> 11:11.489 And by eliminating the sequester, 11:11.489 --> 11:14.072 and the uncertainty it creates, 11:14.114 --> 11:16.577 we will make it easier for the Navy to plan 11:16.577 --> 11:19.994 for the future and thus to control costs, 11:20.343 --> 11:24.510 and get the best deals for the taxpayer, which, of course, 11:25.769 --> 11:29.769 is very important, right? Gotta get a good deal. 11:30.788 --> 11:33.718 We don't make a good deal, we're not going our job. 11:33.718 --> 11:37.885 The same boat for less money, the same ship for less money, 11:38.590 --> 11:41.009 the same airplanes for less money, 11:41.009 --> 11:43.723 that's what were doing, that's what we're doing. 11:43.723 --> 11:47.243 It means we're gonna get more of 'em, and we can use 'em. 11:47.243 --> 11:51.104 Our military requires sustained, stable funding 11:51.104 --> 11:53.912 to meet the growing needs placed in our defense. 11:53.912 --> 11:58.079 Right now, our aging front line strike and strike fighters, 11:59.000 --> 12:01.588 a whole aircraft, many, many aircraft, 12:01.588 --> 12:05.083 are often more likely to be down for maintenance 12:05.083 --> 12:07.509 than they are to be up in the sky. 12:07.509 --> 12:10.887 Our Navy is now the smallest it's been since, 12:10.887 --> 12:14.371 believe it or not, World War One, don't worry, 12:14.371 --> 12:17.732 gonna soon be the largest it's been, don't worry. 12:17.732 --> 12:19.982 (applause) 12:20.714 --> 12:23.131 Think of that, think of that. 12:23.479 --> 12:27.646 In these troubled times, our Navy is the smallest it's been 12:28.303 --> 12:31.305 since World War One, that's a long time ago, 12:31.305 --> 12:35.060 in fact, I just spoke with Navy and industry leaders 12:35.060 --> 12:37.130 and have discussed my plans to undertake 12:37.130 --> 12:40.713 a major expansion of our entire Navy fleet, 12:41.097 --> 12:44.847 including having the 12-carrier Navy we need. 12:46.554 --> 12:48.804 (applause) 12:52.180 --> 12:55.717 We also need more aircraft, modernized capabilities, 12:55.717 --> 12:57.800 and greater force levels. 12:57.964 --> 13:02.131 Additionally, we must vastly improve our cyber capabilities. 13:03.774 --> 13:06.795 This great rebuilding effort will create many jobs 13:06.795 --> 13:09.795 in Virginia, and all across America, 13:09.870 --> 13:14.037 and it'll also spur new technology and new innovation. 13:15.959 --> 13:19.480 America has always been the country that boldly 13:19.480 --> 13:22.034 leads the world into the future, 13:22.034 --> 13:24.856 and my budget will ensure we do so, 13:24.856 --> 13:27.523 and continue to do exactly that. 13:28.690 --> 13:31.523 American ships will sail the seas, 13:32.335 --> 13:35.335 American planes will soar the skies, 13:36.151 --> 13:39.401 American workers will build our fleets. 13:40.175 --> 13:42.425 (applause) 13:47.033 --> 13:50.040 And America's military will ensure that even though 13:50.040 --> 13:52.839 the darkest nights and throughout, 13:52.839 --> 13:57.006 a bright and glowing sun will always shine on our nation 13:58.600 --> 14:02.767 and on our people, our Navy is great, our Navy is great. 14:04.283 --> 14:06.616 Our people are great, great. 14:08.426 --> 14:10.676 (applause) 14:14.151 --> 14:17.036 Our Republic will meet any challenge, 14:17.036 --> 14:19.953 defeat any danger, face any threat, 14:20.629 --> 14:23.879 and always seek true and lasting peace. 14:26.624 --> 14:30.791 May God bless our military, may God bless our Navy, 14:32.112 --> 14:36.029 may God bless the wonderful Gerald Ford family, 14:38.686 --> 14:42.853 and may God continue to bless the United States of America, 14:43.984 --> 14:44.907 thank you very much. 14:44.907 --> 14:46.039 (applause) 14:46.039 --> 14:49.039 (upbeat band music)