Trump to make announcement with Hegseth on shipbuilding from Mar-a-Lago

President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan are making a shipbuilding announcement from the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Monday, according to a White House official. 

The White House hasn’t given more details about the announcement’s topic. The Navy’s Phelan announced plans last week to build a new cl*** of warship as a part of the president’s “Golden Fleet.” In a video he posted Friday to social media, Phelan said the goal for the new Frigate cl*** is to have American-designed ships made by Americans, with an eye on 2028 for launching the first ship. The Trump administration is trying to address U.S. shipbuilding shortfalls through multiple administrations, and beef up the United States’ shipbuilding supply chain. 

“We’re done admiring the problem. Our focus is on readiness,” Phelan said in the video. “With a smart, quick, affordable build, we will deliver the capacity our warfighters need.” 

The president’s announcement Monday comes as the Trump administration has built up the United States’ increased naval presence in the Caribbean Sea and military buildup in Latin America amid tensions with Venezuela. The U.S. on Saturday announced the seizure of a second vessel in international waters, this one most recently docked off the coast of Venezuela, after the president announced a “blockade” of all oil tankers coming in or out of the country. 

The president is spending the Christmas holiday at Mar-a-Lago, with a mix of official events and golfing outings.