Staff Reports
On October 5, 2025, President Donald Trump made a bold and unmistakable show of support for our sailors by visiting Naval Station Norfolk and boarding the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman to mark the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary. Thousands of uniformed sailors gathered to hear a commander-in-chief who put their service front and center, proving that leadership means showing up where it matters.
The president refused to let a partisan and irresponsible government shutdown keep him from honoring our Navy, and he made it clear that the nation’s defenders come first. He even admitted what everyone else saw — “let’s face it, this is a rally” — and closed the event with a good-natured YMCA dance that cut through the media’s stale outrage and showed genuine affection for the troops.
Mr. Trump used the moment to promise concrete support for service members, pledging across-the-board pay raises and an aggressive rebuilding of American shipyards and naval capability after years of neglect. This is the kind of America First agenda the military deserves: money for men and machines, not woke experiments or bureaucratic excuses.
He even had some fun while making serious points — dubbing a carrier “Navy One” for the day and recognizing veterans and families who have kept this country safe for generations. First Lady Melania joined him, and senior officials stood with the president as he laid out plans to restore our edge at sea while calling out the political paralysis that put service members in limbo.
Let the cable anchors complain about the crowd size or the music if they must; what matters is that our Navy felt appreciated and our priorities were clarified. For too long, Washington has tolerated underinvestment and political theater while our sailors did the hard work — today’s celebration was a corrective, a reminder that patriots come before politics.
Congress now faces a choice: keep playing games or fund the men and women who defend our shores, rebuild shipyards, and give our families the security they deserve. Americans who love their country should demand representatives back the troops without delay — this moment proved leadership still matters, and the president showed the country how it’s done.
