 So ladies and gentlemen, to those who threaten our homeland or our liberties, let the word go forth. Very soon, a hundred thousand tons of the most powerful warship ever known will report for duty to her commander in chief. Congratulations crew members and Godspeed. Therefore ladies and gentlemen, as a ship sponsor of the USS Gerald R. Ford and on behalf of the 38th President of the United States, it is a high honor to introduce and welcome to Dad's namesake aircraft carrier, the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. Thank you. Thank you very much. What an honor. You know, they just gave me this beautiful jacket they said, here, Mr. President, please take this home. I said, let me wear it. 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 say, this is a special day we're wearing this, right? So 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 on privilege to stand here today with the incredible men and women of the United States Navy. American sailors are the best war fighting 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. 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. The soon to be commissioned Gerald R. Ford, USS Water Place. It's almost, it really feels like a place. You stand on that deck, and you feel like you stand here in a very big piece of land. But this is better than land. It'll 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're joined today, better believe it, right? Better believe it, better believe it. And by the way, we're going to soon have more coming, have more coming. We are joined today by General Mattis, now Secretary Mattis, 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. 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! We're going to start winning again. Admiral John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations, is with us today as well. Ladies and gentlemen, 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. Let me congratulate Captain Richard McCormick, 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. 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 Mulherran, President of Newport News Shipbuilding. They won't let you down either. They're not going to let you down either. 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. I agree, I agree. Our carers are the centerpiece of American military might overseas. We are standing today on four and a half 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.