'It's stupid': Trump kept demanding US Navy redesign aircraft carrier

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Raw Story/Intelligencer


Raw Story - Yesterday 5:43 PM

By Matthew Chapman

On Tuesday, New York Magazine's Intelligencer highlighted one bizarre new claim from former Defense Secretary Mark Esper's tell-all book on former President Donald Trump's administration — that Trump apparently hated the way a certain aircraft carrier looked and repeatedly demanded Esper approve major design changes to it.

Specifically, he had tons of gripes with the appearance and design of the U.S.S. Gerald Ford.

"In his new book, A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times, Mark Esper writes that when Trump wasn’t plotting to secretly bomb Mexico, he was complaining about the $13 billion warship, denouncing it as 'overpriced,' insisting that its elevators would be disabled by 'one glass of seawater,' and arguing that its new digital catapult system should be powered by 'goddamned steam' instead.

The carrier, which will finally be deployed this year, did suffer years-long delays caused by problems with various new technologies. But according to Esper, Trump was the only person focused on its physical problem areas."

One of the biggest complaints Trump had, according to the report, is with the "island," the portion of the ship that houses the command center.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/its-stupid-trump-kept-demanding-us-navy-redesign-aircraft-carrier/ar-AAX7Tgd?li=BBnb7Kz

[Skittles]

1. they could only tell us when they're out to make a buck

FINE fucking patriots

[Harker]

2. He probably thought his own name should be displayed on it...

in big gold letters.

[Arger68]

3. My thoughts exactly

It probably would have looked just fine to him if it was named after his worthless azz

[Harker]

4. It would have to be the biggest and bestest ever.

He'd demand an on board casino to fleece the sailors of their paychecks.

[bluecollar2]

21. Trust me

There are already casinos on board...

[IronLionZion]

5. The German military had a similar problem in WW2

[Wednesdays]

7. I remember reading about how Hitler wanted to re-purpose the Me-262 jet fighter

The Messerschmitt 262 was one of the first jet fighter planes, coming out about a year or so before the end of World War II, and its top speed was nearly 100 miles per hour faster than any allied prop fighter at the time. Hitler originally insisted it be used as a fighter-bomber, which one author said was like "using a thoroughbred race horse to tow a beer wagon."

[godfree2]

10. common myth

all German fighter planes were required & designed to carry bombs

[Aristus]

12. It's not so much that Hitler required the 262 to carry bombs.

It was the purpose to which it was put. Hitler wanted to change the 262’s mission from tactical, pursuit of enemy aircraft, to strategic, bombing enemy cities.

While Hitler awaited the debut of the Arado jet bomber (which never saw operational service), he wanted to relive the glory days of The Blitz against London, and saw the 262 as the means to do that.

He even insisted that, in his presence, the 262 be referred to only as a ‘blitz bomber.’

[NickB79]

6. He wanted to put the island in the center of the deck

Ya know, where they launch planes from 🤣

[speak easy]

8. because he knew more about carriers

than the 'whole army, navy and space force put together'.

[Mister Ed]

9. The Navy should've given him color swatches and fabric samples to look through.

I've read that's what architects and designers of Trump properties did in order to keep him off their backs and make him feel important.

[karin_sj]

11. He's such an idiot

And it's totally unsurprising that he would prioritize appearance over safety and efficiency. The article never did say whether or not he got his way.

[RussBLib]

14. how in the hell did this thug become president?

Could the election have been stolen? T**** carped so much about how the Dems were stealing votes, I have to assume the GOP was doing it and they wanted to cover their tracks.

[PerceptionManagement]

13. Orange Failure had design notes for the engineers. Wow. Dunning Kruger is strong with this one.

[twodogsbarking]

15. He didn't like the flag. Wanted the hammer and sickle one.

[2Gingersnaps]

16. Sadly, you have to wonder if Borowitz or The Onion

aren't Esper's ghost writers. Tony Schwartz would be a great person to ask.

[XorXor]

17. What a jackass. There seems to be a lot of valid criticisms of this project

Mostly about too many technologies trying to be incorporated all at once. Given the issues and delays, that seems like a valid complaint. That being said, Trump is still an idiot who clearly had no grasp of the actual issues or how to fix them. That thing about the island position illustrates exactly how his mind works. If he was capable of thinking and wanted to actually fix stuff, then he wouldn't be harping on details of a single ship well past the design phase, but rather taking whatever steps are in his power to reform how the Navy and other branches handle the entire process of developing and procuring new stuff. There are a lot of smart people out there who have discussed these problems and have ideas on how to fix them. Of course Trump didn't do that. He just took some easy to digest buzz words to rail against without even understanding what they are, why they exist, how they can be fixed, and why things are the way they are.

Nothing more than shallow faux outrage used for political gain.

[nitpicker]

23. Criticisms deserved

The keel was laid in 2009. IFAIK, a big hangup was the issue of weapons elevators, plus the new launch systems, so that only NOW is it undergoing sea trials.

BUT the design of the carrier was intended to increase sortie rates. I think Thump might not have grasped that.

[Turbineguy]

18. Hitler knew more than his Generals too.

[muriel_volestrangler]

19. The obsession with steam catapults was public

see eg https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212138017

[TomSlick]

20. Probably because Trump is a recognized expert in naval architecture.

To the extent necessary,

[Bengus81]

22. Trump would know from his vast Military service!