Trump: "I Want to Resume US Shipbuilding... Using Allies"

"'Mega Bill' Preference... 'Green New Scam' Reversal"
Opposition to Biden's New Offshore Drilling Ban

President-elect Donald Trump of the United States stated that he could utilize allies to strengthen the U.S. Navy and resume shipbuilding.

On the 6th (local time), Trump appeared on the conservative Hugh Hewitt radio show and, when asked if he intended to rebuild the Navy in the next administration, said, "I want to start building ships, but we no longer build ships," adding, "We will probably use allies in terms of shipbuilding."

President-elect Donald Trump of the United States. Photo by Reuters-Yonhap News

He said, "From what I hear, China produces a ship every four days," and "But we have been sitting still." He continued, "We want to start that (shipbuilding)," and "We may have to take a different path than usual. That is, as you know, starting construction."

Trump also said, "I will announce very good things related to the Navy," and "Our country has no docks and is not ready for shipbuilding. Until we are ready, we can place orders with other countries."

The allies and other countries Trump referred to are expected to include South Korea. In November last year, shortly after winning the presidential election, Trump spoke with President Yoon Suk-yeol on the phone and stated, "I am well aware of South Korea's world-class warship and shipbuilding capabilities, and we need to closely cooperate with Korea not only in ship exports but also in maintenance, repair, and servicing."

Meanwhile, Trump expressed a preference for a so-called 'mega bill' that encompasses his pledges on immigration, tax cuts, and more into a single piece of legislation. He said, "It will take longer to introduce this bill, but I will accept that. I think it is a cleaner and more organized way," adding, "We could also finish border-related issues a bit earlier." Regarding the Biden administration's environmental policies, he stated, "I will recover trillions and billions of dollars from the Green New Scam."

Regarding President Biden's decision to ban new oil and gas drilling in an area of 625 million acres (2,529,285 km²), about 11 times the size of the Korean Peninsula, for environmental protection, Trump responded, "I have the right to immediately lift the ban after taking office," and "I will not let such a thing happen to our country." However, according to CNN and others, Trump would need congressional approval to overturn this measure.

On the U.S. government's temporary easing of humanitarian aid sanctions on Syria, he criticized, "They (the Syrian transitional government) just take the money and throw punches," and said, "It should have been blocked."

When asked about his statement on social media last month warning the Palestinian armed group Hamas, which launched a surprise attack on Israel and took hostages, that "if the hostages are not released before January 20, there will be a heavy price to pay," he replied, "Literally," and said, "The hostages must be released immediately." He also announced plans to soon appoint a special envoy to Ukraine.