WEBVTT 00:00.129 --> 00:02.296 Newport News Shipbuilding , welcome to 00:02.296 --> 00:04.351 the United States Secretary of War , 00:04.351 --> 00:05.351 Pete Hegseth . 00:37.250 --> 00:40.009 House band and everything . Thank you . 00:42.439 --> 00:44.383 Well , good afternoon . How are we 00:44.383 --> 00:48.360 doing ? Oh man , it is great to 00:48.360 --> 00:50.527 see this beautiful group , uh , and to 00:50.527 --> 00:52.638 be here in Newport News , and I wanna 00:52.638 --> 00:54.639 thank all of you for what you do . 00:54.720 --> 00:56.942 That's , that's why we're here , that's 00:56.942 --> 00:58.887 why we're launching the Arsenal of 00:58.887 --> 01:01.159 Freedom tour . It's about all of you . 01:02.349 --> 01:04.349 Some of you are wearing a uniform , 01:04.750 --> 01:06.949 some of you are not . All of you are 01:06.949 --> 01:09.069 wearing hard hats and all of you are 01:09.069 --> 01:12.150 contributing to the warfighter . The 01:12.150 --> 01:14.980 kind of urgency that we need is , uh , 01:15.120 --> 01:17.669 you understand the speed and the 01:17.669 --> 01:20.519 specificity of the beautiful machines 01:20.519 --> 01:23.050 that you create require an expertise 01:23.160 --> 01:24.959 and an investment that this 01:24.959 --> 01:27.760 administration is prepared to make and 01:27.760 --> 01:30.690 make fast . It's always inspiring to 01:30.690 --> 01:33.190 stand amongst patriots who quite 01:33.190 --> 01:35.690 literally are building our nation's 01:35.690 --> 01:37.912 firepower . I had a chance this morning 01:37.912 --> 01:40.134 to swear in some new recruits . We have 01:40.134 --> 01:42.900 a historic recruiting surge at the 01:42.900 --> 01:45.011 Department of War . Record amounts of 01:45.011 --> 01:47.067 Americans want to join our uniformed 01:47.067 --> 01:48.956 class . Last year was a record of 01:48.956 --> 01:50.900 multiple decades . This year we're 01:50.900 --> 01:53.067 already ahead of last year . Americans 01:53.067 --> 01:55.122 are fired up to serve . I also had a 01:55.122 --> 01:57.011 chance to go to our next aircraft 01:57.011 --> 01:59.233 carrier , the JFK . I don't know if you 01:59.233 --> 02:01.400 heard , but our aircraft carriers have 02:01.400 --> 02:05.150 been busy recently . That one will be 02:05.150 --> 02:08.039 busy for decades to come , ensuring 02:08.039 --> 02:10.261 America is free and safe and powerful . 02:10.559 --> 02:12.559 And now here we are at Newport News 02:12.559 --> 02:16.410 Shipyard at the USS Oklahoma . And I'm 02:16.410 --> 02:18.632 here on behalf of the president who has 02:18.632 --> 02:20.910 from his first day in office operated 02:20.910 --> 02:23.440 on a few core principles at the 02:23.440 --> 02:27.250 baseline , pure , unadulterated common 02:27.250 --> 02:30.500 sense . First , that a leader's primary 02:30.500 --> 02:33.460 duty is to put America and 02:33.460 --> 02:37.009 Americans first . Second , that the 02:37.009 --> 02:40.350 surest and only real path to peace 02:40.800 --> 02:42.759 is through strength . We're in the 02:42.759 --> 02:45.169 strength business , you are in the 02:45.169 --> 02:47.336 strength business . And third , that a 02:47.336 --> 02:49.639 nation that cannot build things , a 02:49.639 --> 02:51.806 nation that can't create its own tools 02:51.806 --> 02:54.270 or its own defenses or its own future , 02:54.570 --> 02:57.289 is a nation that is in managed decline . 02:58.470 --> 03:00.526 President Donald J . Trump looked at 03:00.526 --> 03:02.637 that managed decline , a decline that 03:02.637 --> 03:05.440 had been accepted by elites . Both 03:05.440 --> 03:08.070 parties , and he rejected it and we 03:08.070 --> 03:10.800 fundamentally reject it . And in doing 03:10.800 --> 03:13.460 so , he has unleashed a great American 03:13.460 --> 03:16.179 revival , a reawakening of our 03:16.179 --> 03:19.080 industrial spirit and our national 03:19.080 --> 03:22.110 confidence , a new golden age for 03:22.110 --> 03:24.199 America that you are all a part of 03:24.199 --> 03:27.380 building . As his Secretary of War , my 03:27.380 --> 03:29.602 mission is to execute President Trump's 03:29.602 --> 03:32.020 vision within our armed forces and 03:32.020 --> 03:35.660 ignite that revival . The mission has 3 03:35.660 --> 03:37.827 core components , 3 pillars upon which 03:37.827 --> 03:40.049 we are building our national security . 03:40.049 --> 03:42.929 It's actually quite simple . First , 03:43.070 --> 03:45.589 we're reviving the warrior ethos inside 03:45.589 --> 03:48.270 our fighting force , reminding our 03:48.270 --> 03:50.270 warriors and our uniformed military 03:50.270 --> 03:52.910 that their sole purpose is to be the 03:52.910 --> 03:55.919 most lethal fighting force on the 03:55.919 --> 03:59.850 planet . So no more DEI , no more 03:59.929 --> 04:03.279 dudes in dresses . No more distractions , 04:03.360 --> 04:07.220 we're done with that . It's just 04:07.220 --> 04:10.250 standards , accountability , readiness , 04:10.580 --> 04:13.520 training , discipline , and lethality 04:13.660 --> 04:16.299 back to basics across the department , 04:16.380 --> 04:18.820 which is what our warriors really want . 04:19.910 --> 04:21.577 Second , we must , and we are 04:21.577 --> 04:23.688 rebuilding our military with the best 04:23.688 --> 04:25.799 equipment , training , and leadership 04:25.799 --> 04:28.149 to ensure our warfighters are never in 04:28.149 --> 04:30.809 a fair fight . And you've seen historic 04:31.149 --> 04:33.149 investments over $1 trillion in the 04:33.149 --> 04:35.205 last budget . You'll see even more , 04:35.205 --> 04:37.371 and it isn't just in platforms , it is 04:37.371 --> 04:40.369 in people . And third , we're 04:40.369 --> 04:43.000 reestablishing deterrence . That's so 04:43.000 --> 04:45.111 absolute and so unquestioned that our 04:45.111 --> 04:47.278 enemies will not dare to test us , you 04:47.278 --> 04:49.611 see , under the previous administration , 04:49.611 --> 04:51.500 whether it was the debacle of the 04:51.500 --> 04:53.500 withdrawal in Afghanistan that cost 04:53.500 --> 04:55.222 American lives and smeared our 04:55.222 --> 04:57.222 reputation , whether it was the war 04:57.222 --> 04:59.333 unleashed in Israel after October 7th 04:59.333 --> 05:01.444 by Hamas or the war in Ukraine , that 05:01.444 --> 05:03.167 never would have started under 05:03.167 --> 05:05.167 President Trump , the world started 05:05.167 --> 05:07.222 wondering whether America really was 05:07.222 --> 05:06.839 strong and whether America really could 05:06.839 --> 05:10.380 lead . Well , that's over now . Just 05:10.380 --> 05:12.559 ask the Houthis and our ships that now 05:12.559 --> 05:14.660 sail freely . Imagine that under the 05:14.660 --> 05:16.827 previous administration when our ships 05:16.827 --> 05:18.827 got shot at . We just said , hm , I 05:18.827 --> 05:21.049 guess we have to deal with it . All the 05:21.049 --> 05:23.327 way back to Thomas Jefferson , we said , 05:23.327 --> 05:25.493 you're not shooting at our ships , and 05:25.493 --> 05:27.660 if you do , You may not see tomorrow . 05:28.220 --> 05:30.442 Well , we did that with the Houthis and 05:30.442 --> 05:32.498 our ships now sail freely all around 05:32.498 --> 05:34.553 the world without being attacked and 05:34.553 --> 05:34.190 without being shot at . That's peace 05:34.190 --> 05:36.850 through strength . Same with Midnight 05:36.850 --> 05:39.489 Hammer , where our B-2s flew 37 hours 05:39.489 --> 05:42.089 down and back and were never seen by 05:42.089 --> 05:45.170 the Iranians and dropped 14 precision 05:45.170 --> 05:47.059 munitions exactly where they were 05:47.059 --> 05:49.226 supposed to drop , obliterating Iran's 05:49.226 --> 05:51.337 nuclear capabilities , not to mention 05:51.337 --> 05:53.170 the Tomahawks that came off of a 05:53.170 --> 05:55.670 beautiful submarine . And delivered 05:55.670 --> 05:57.726 that decisive blow as well on one of 05:57.726 --> 06:00.829 the nuclear facilities . Deterrence is 06:00.829 --> 06:04.290 back . Not to mention drug boats in the 06:04.470 --> 06:06.359 Caribbean and the eastern Pacific 06:06.359 --> 06:08.359 carrying drugs headed to the United 06:08.359 --> 06:10.692 States to poisoning the American people . 06:10.692 --> 06:10.670 We're not playing the whole catch and 06:10.670 --> 06:12.503 release game anymore . These are 06:12.503 --> 06:14.614 foreign terrorist organizations , the 06:14.614 --> 06:16.614 al Qaeda of our hemisphere , and we 06:16.614 --> 06:18.837 will sink every drug boat headed in our 06:18.837 --> 06:21.329 direction . Re-establishing deterrence . 06:21.570 --> 06:23.737 Our southern border , which allowed an 06:23.737 --> 06:25.848 invasion of people we didn't know who 06:25.848 --> 06:25.570 they were under the previous 06:25.570 --> 06:28.049 administration , 7 months of zero 06:28.049 --> 06:30.130 crossings at our border . A country 06:30.130 --> 06:32.241 that isn't sovereign is not a country 06:32.241 --> 06:34.369 re-establishing deterrence . And then 06:34.369 --> 06:36.869 we saw 3 nights ago in downtown Caracas 06:36.869 --> 06:39.750 in Venezuela as nearly 200 of our 06:39.750 --> 06:42.209 greatest Americans went downtown in 06:42.209 --> 06:45.309 Caracas . Seems those Russian air 06:45.309 --> 06:47.365 defenses didn't quite work so well , 06:47.365 --> 06:50.609 did they ? Downtown Caracas and grabbed 06:50.609 --> 06:52.529 an indicted individual wanted by 06:52.529 --> 06:54.473 American justice in support of law 06:54.473 --> 06:57.200 enforcement . Without a single American 06:57.200 --> 07:00.720 killed . Re-establishing deterrence . 07:09.119 --> 07:11.452 Because of President Trump's leadership , 07:11.452 --> 07:13.508 the world is taking notice . They're 07:13.508 --> 07:15.397 noticing American power , they're 07:15.397 --> 07:17.452 noticing American strength , they're 07:17.452 --> 07:19.119 noticing American clarity and 07:19.119 --> 07:21.399 leadership , and you are at the core of 07:21.399 --> 07:24.670 ensuring that happens . Everything 07:24.670 --> 07:26.970 we're doing is aimed at those goals , 07:27.429 --> 07:29.651 and that's why just before Christmas at 07:29.651 --> 07:31.651 Mar a Lago , I had the privilege of 07:31.651 --> 07:33.429 joining President Trump and the 07:33.429 --> 07:35.485 Secretary of the Navy for a historic 07:35.485 --> 07:37.429 announcement , the creation of the 07:37.429 --> 07:39.596 Golden Fleet . The Golden Fleet is the 07:39.596 --> 07:41.373 Navy's investment to revitalize 07:41.373 --> 07:43.429 America's maritime industrial base . 07:43.670 --> 07:45.892 And rapidly build and sustain the fleet 07:45.892 --> 07:47.837 and fundamentally change how we do 07:47.837 --> 07:50.519 business and maintain military 07:50.519 --> 07:53.040 supremacy . This new battle fleet 07:53.040 --> 07:55.739 anchored by a new generation of Trump 07:55.739 --> 07:58.640 class battleships is a declaration to 07:58.640 --> 08:00.920 the world that our command of the seas 08:00.920 --> 08:03.480 is and will remain non-negotiable . 08:04.220 --> 08:06.053 That announcement along with the 08:06.053 --> 08:08.059 incredible , vital work being done 08:08.059 --> 08:10.380 right here , is a generational 08:10.380 --> 08:12.890 commitment to American sea power . 08:14.440 --> 08:16.440 This investment in both the visible 08:16.440 --> 08:19.260 might of battleships and the stealthy 08:19.640 --> 08:21.839 lethality of the submarines built in 08:21.839 --> 08:24.399 this very yard is a direct investment 08:24.399 --> 08:26.559 in peace through strength . It's an 08:26.559 --> 08:28.392 investment in the future fight , 08:28.519 --> 08:30.686 ensuring that America has the tools to 08:30.686 --> 08:34.440 win any conflict anywhere , anytime . 08:35.869 --> 08:38.091 And as I mentioned , as was mentioned , 08:38.091 --> 08:40.070 today marks the first stop on a 08:40.070 --> 08:43.070 month-long arsenal of freedom tour from 08:43.070 --> 08:45.309 the War Department . And on this tour , 08:45.349 --> 08:47.460 we'll be traveling from the shipyards 08:47.460 --> 08:49.789 of the coast to the factories of the 08:49.789 --> 08:53.229 heartland to see the work being done by 08:53.229 --> 08:55.969 the military and our partners in 08:55.969 --> 08:58.750 American manufacturing to usher in a 08:58.750 --> 09:01.109 new golden age of peace through 09:01.109 --> 09:03.210 strength , a revival . Of our 09:03.210 --> 09:06.750 industrial base , all American 09:06.750 --> 09:10.700 made by the best Americans . We know 09:10.700 --> 09:12.922 that our treasured freedoms are only as 09:12.922 --> 09:15.700 secure as our arsenal is strong , and 09:15.700 --> 09:18.179 nothing is more important than securing 09:18.179 --> 09:20.780 that freedom . So I'm here to thank you . 09:21.849 --> 09:24.016 The men and women assembled here today 09:24.016 --> 09:26.330 and those you represent who are 09:26.330 --> 09:28.497 designing and constructing our weapons 09:28.497 --> 09:32.450 of war that my children and yours , my 09:32.450 --> 09:35.429 grandchildren and yours will rely upon 09:35.929 --> 09:38.489 to ensure the peace , stability and 09:38.489 --> 09:41.250 security of the United States . You are 09:41.250 --> 09:43.417 standing shoulder to shoulder with the 09:43.417 --> 09:45.609 warfighters of the War Department . 09:46.919 --> 09:49.086 Allow me for a moment to speak plainly 09:49.086 --> 09:51.859 about the threats to that freedom . We 09:51.859 --> 09:53.915 find ourselves in a world of growing 09:53.915 --> 09:56.080 threats , a world the comfortable 09:56.080 --> 09:58.020 elites in Washington refused to 09:58.020 --> 10:00.820 acknowledge for far too long . For 10:00.820 --> 10:03.179 decades , a bipartisan consensus sold 10:03.179 --> 10:06.419 this country a dangerous fantasy . They 10:06.419 --> 10:09.419 told us that history was over , that 10:09.419 --> 10:11.500 the rise of peer competitors was a 10:11.500 --> 10:13.820 relic of the past and that we could 10:13.820 --> 10:15.764 afford to trade out our industrial 10:15.764 --> 10:19.380 might , our factories , our jobs , our 10:19.380 --> 10:23.010 self . For the hollow promises of 10:23.010 --> 10:26.630 globalism . Like Esau in the book of 10:26.630 --> 10:30.489 Genesis . They sold our birthright for 10:30.489 --> 10:33.909 a bowl of soup . They were content with 10:33.909 --> 10:36.729 a managed decline , overseeing the slow , 10:37.070 --> 10:39.830 steady erosion of our naval power and 10:39.830 --> 10:43.150 our defense industrial base as if it 10:43.150 --> 10:45.650 were some inevitable tide of history . 10:45.950 --> 10:48.117 Outsourcing our jobs , outsourcing our 10:48.117 --> 10:50.339 manufacturing was just the way it is in 10:50.339 --> 10:53.400 a global economy . Foolishness , 10:53.820 --> 10:57.669 recklessness , not anymore , not under 10:57.669 --> 11:00.140 President Trump . While we were 11:00.140 --> 11:02.196 policing the world , nation building 11:02.196 --> 11:04.700 and deserts and debating pronouns at 11:04.700 --> 11:08.020 the Pentagon . Our primary competitors , 11:08.229 --> 11:11.020 like the Chinese Communist Party , did 11:11.020 --> 11:13.479 something very different . They studied 11:13.479 --> 11:15.701 us , they learned from our triumphs and 11:15.701 --> 11:17.923 our mistakes , and then they started to 11:17.923 --> 11:20.090 build as well . And they've undertaken 11:20.090 --> 11:22.146 some of the most rapid , ambitious , 11:22.146 --> 11:24.257 and breathtaking naval buildups since 11:24.257 --> 11:26.489 World War II . While we decommissioned 11:26.489 --> 11:28.545 ships , they launched many of them . 11:29.200 --> 11:31.200 While some of our shipyards did not 11:31.200 --> 11:33.367 meet the demands of our country , they 11:33.367 --> 11:35.979 expanded at a rapid pace , but not 11:37.359 --> 11:40.820 anymore . While we seek good relations 11:40.820 --> 11:42.987 with China and the rest of the world , 11:42.987 --> 11:46.700 we are also ready . President 11:46.700 --> 11:48.589 Donald Trump understands that the 11:48.589 --> 11:50.659 American people are ready and they 11:50.659 --> 11:53.359 deserve a new golden age . 11:54.909 --> 11:57.479 We recognize that we are in a new era 11:57.909 --> 12:00.039 of great power competition , a 12:00.099 --> 12:03.090 generational struggle to maintain peace 12:03.859 --> 12:06.109 through strength , and we will rise to 12:06.109 --> 12:08.789 meet that challenge . That is why we 12:08.789 --> 12:10.900 proudly call ourselves the Department 12:11.109 --> 12:14.380 of War . Not the Department of Defense , 12:14.500 --> 12:18.299 not because we seek war . But because 12:18.299 --> 12:20.859 we truly understand that in order to 12:20.859 --> 12:24.159 ensure peace , you need to be prepared 12:24.380 --> 12:26.500 to deter war and if necessary 12:26.500 --> 12:30.260 decisively win it . Our purpose is not 12:30.260 --> 12:33.140 to be reactive but to be dominant , so 12:33.140 --> 12:36.099 that no enemy , any enemy will ever 12:36.099 --> 12:38.266 attempt to challenge the United States 12:38.266 --> 12:41.219 of America . Now this revival is not a 12:41.219 --> 12:44.099 matter of speeches or policy papers or 12:44.099 --> 12:45.877 think tanks and white papers in 12:45.877 --> 12:49.010 Washington DC . This is a matter of 12:49.010 --> 12:52.619 action Across the entire War Department , 12:52.700 --> 12:54.589 we are developing new operational 12:54.589 --> 12:56.811 concepts . We're deploying cutting edge 12:56.811 --> 12:59.219 technologies at a speed that's not been 12:59.219 --> 13:01.789 seen in generations . And we're making 13:01.789 --> 13:04.530 historic multi-generational investments 13:04.770 --> 13:07.229 in the capabilities that we will need 13:07.450 --> 13:10.159 to dominate the future fight at a level 13:10.159 --> 13:13.570 of urgency that must match the 13:13.570 --> 13:17.289 urgency of the moment . Most 13:17.289 --> 13:19.178 importantly , we're getting these 13:19.178 --> 13:21.011 capabilities in the hands of our 13:21.011 --> 13:23.067 warfighters faster than we ever have 13:23.067 --> 13:25.122 since World War II . Under President 13:25.122 --> 13:27.345 Trump , we are systemically dismantling 13:27.345 --> 13:29.809 the bloated , risk-averse , and 13:29.809 --> 13:32.369 self-serving bureaucracy that has 13:32.369 --> 13:35.929 stifled innovation for decades . We're 13:35.929 --> 13:37.818 streamlining our requirements and 13:37.818 --> 13:39.929 acquisition process , cutting through 13:39.929 --> 13:43.169 red tape . This is not the same old 13:43.169 --> 13:45.669 reform that is always talked about in 13:45.669 --> 13:47.502 Washington , but instead it's an 13:47.502 --> 13:49.869 overhaul , it's revolutionary , it is a 13:49.869 --> 13:52.469 renaissance of American manufacturing . 13:53.869 --> 13:55.758 I've made it crystal clear to the 13:55.758 --> 13:58.679 entire defense industry . Which I 13:58.679 --> 14:01.289 didn't come from and . I didn't work 14:01.289 --> 14:04.690 for , so I don't give a who wins . I 14:04.690 --> 14:07.640 just want the best . We've been clear , 14:07.650 --> 14:10.289 the era of rewarding delays and cost 14:10.289 --> 14:13.099 overruns is over . The days of cost 14:13.099 --> 14:15.155 plus contracts for programs that are 14:15.155 --> 14:18.090 years behind schedule are finished . We 14:18.090 --> 14:20.510 will no longer give longer , larger , 14:21.179 --> 14:23.250 we will excuse me , give longer , 14:23.369 --> 14:25.536 larger , more predictable contracts to 14:25.536 --> 14:29.070 companies that deliver on time and on 14:29.219 --> 14:32.609 budget . Companies that invest in their 14:32.609 --> 14:35.130 people , that invest in more capability 14:35.130 --> 14:37.650 and more capacity , not companies that 14:37.650 --> 14:41.559 invest in stock buybacks or CEO 14:41.559 --> 14:44.429 salaries or more dividends . 14:45.679 --> 14:48.359 For those who can't adapt , who are too 14:48.359 --> 14:50.470 comfortable with the old slow ways of 14:50.470 --> 14:53.000 doing business , uh , we wish them well 14:53.000 --> 14:55.090 in their other future endeavors . 14:55.510 --> 14:57.919 Because we will find new partners who 14:57.919 --> 15:01.080 will adapt , who will invest , who will 15:01.080 --> 15:03.136 take care of their people , who will 15:03.136 --> 15:06.130 move at speed and at scale . We will 15:06.130 --> 15:09.010 reward , reward that speed , that scale , 15:09.210 --> 15:11.488 that innovation , and that performance . 15:11.488 --> 15:14.270 We're not rewarding process , paperwork , 15:14.590 --> 15:17.880 or just the C-suite . This 15:17.880 --> 15:21.049 submarine behind me . And the many more 15:21.049 --> 15:23.369 that will follow it is an embodiment of 15:23.369 --> 15:26.489 our commitment to an investment in the 15:26.489 --> 15:29.049 security of the American people . But 15:29.049 --> 15:30.938 it also represents something more 15:30.938 --> 15:32.979 profound , it represents national 15:32.979 --> 15:35.619 confidence , confidence in American 15:35.619 --> 15:37.940 shipbuilding , confidence in our 15:37.940 --> 15:40.780 industrial discipline , and confidence 15:40.780 --> 15:42.947 in the United States Navy's ability to 15:42.947 --> 15:45.340 deliver the combat power needed in the 15:45.340 --> 15:49.020 future fight . The work you do 15:49.020 --> 15:52.780 here every single day is the leading 15:52.780 --> 15:56.010 edge of that nat national restoration . 15:56.809 --> 15:58.920 You are proving to the world and more 15:58.920 --> 16:01.010 important , more importantly to 16:01.010 --> 16:03.750 ourselves . That it can be done , that 16:03.750 --> 16:05.972 history is not over , that we build and 16:05.972 --> 16:09.609 that we invest . The media should take 16:09.609 --> 16:12.900 a long look at this vessel , the USS 16:13.250 --> 16:15.859 Oklahoma . This Virginia class 16:15.859 --> 16:18.580 submarine is a paragon of American 16:18.580 --> 16:20.900 engineering and fighting spirit . It is 16:20.900 --> 16:23.619 the apex Predator of the undersea 16:23.619 --> 16:26.020 domain and the most advanced and lethal 16:26.020 --> 16:29.179 submarine ever built . As our president 16:29.179 --> 16:31.659 says , and he's right , we're 20 years 16:31.659 --> 16:34.419 ahead of anybody else in this domain . 16:35.080 --> 16:37.200 It is a strategic advantage that 16:37.200 --> 16:39.479 creates dilemmas on a daily basis for 16:39.479 --> 16:41.760 our adversaries all around the globe . 16:43.169 --> 16:45.570 It's a silent hunter that can operate 16:45.570 --> 16:47.626 with stealth in the most contested , 16:47.626 --> 16:50.109 dangerous waters on the planet . It can 16:50.109 --> 16:52.750 gather intelligence that no satellite 16:52.750 --> 16:55.700 can ever hope to see . That's what 16:55.700 --> 16:57.922 re-establishing deterrence looks like , 16:58.239 --> 17:00.280 and it's how we keep the peace in a 17:00.280 --> 17:03.419 dangerous world . Let there be no 17:03.419 --> 17:05.530 mistake , under President Trump , the 17:05.530 --> 17:07.475 United States is serious about the 17:07.475 --> 17:09.586 command of our seas and about keeping 17:09.586 --> 17:11.808 the world's vital shipping lanes open . 17:11.808 --> 17:14.430 A larger , more modern and more lethal 17:14.430 --> 17:16.541 fleet from the new battleships of the 17:16.541 --> 17:18.763 Golden Fleet to the advanced submarines 17:18.763 --> 17:21.250 you build right here , will provide 17:21.829 --> 17:24.579 that undeniable deterrent . It will 17:24.579 --> 17:27.079 ensure that America's Navy moves freely 17:27.459 --> 17:31.339 and uncontested today , tomorrow , and 17:31.339 --> 17:35.060 long into the future . But all of the 17:35.060 --> 17:37.227 strategies from the Pentagon , all the 17:37.227 --> 17:39.339 funding from Congress , and all the 17:39.339 --> 17:41.395 designs from our brightest engineers 17:41.395 --> 17:44.380 are ultimately meaningless without the 17:44.380 --> 17:47.959 people on this floor . The welders , 17:48.290 --> 17:50.401 the electricians , the pipe fitters , 17:50.449 --> 17:52.671 the steam fitters , the engineers , the 17:52.671 --> 17:55.130 planners , the skilled tradesmen of 17:55.130 --> 17:58.780 Huntington Ingalls . You are the 17:58.780 --> 18:01.130 engine of the arsenal of freedom . 18:02.010 --> 18:05.119 Patriots , all of you . Our 18:05.119 --> 18:09.079 warfighters cannot win . Without you 18:10.109 --> 18:12.660 We are in this fight together shoulder 18:12.660 --> 18:14.716 to shoulder . That's why we launched 18:14.716 --> 18:16.882 the Arsenal of Freedom tours to ensure 18:16.882 --> 18:18.993 the workers across America understand 18:18.993 --> 18:20.993 how committed we are to you and how 18:20.993 --> 18:23.040 reliant we are on your ability to 18:23.040 --> 18:26.060 deliver . It's a beautiful codependence 18:26.060 --> 18:29.770 actually . There is an unbreakable line 18:29.770 --> 18:33.670 tying the wrench in your hand . To 18:33.670 --> 18:35.726 the safety and survival of a 22 year 18:35.726 --> 18:37.670 old American sailor patrolling the 18:37.670 --> 18:40.229 depths of the Pacific . The quality of 18:40.229 --> 18:42.396 your work , your unwavering commitment 18:42.396 --> 18:44.510 to excellence , your speed , your 18:44.510 --> 18:47.199 patriotism itself , you give our 18:47.199 --> 18:50.500 warriors the decisive edge . Yours is a 18:50.500 --> 18:52.880 high calling . You are building a 18:52.880 --> 18:56.880 shield for our nation , bolt by bolt 18:57.280 --> 19:01.130 and weld after weld . In a culture that 19:01.130 --> 19:04.010 too often celebrates the shallow , the 19:04.010 --> 19:07.979 virtual , and the superficial . You are 19:07.979 --> 19:11.400 engaged in something real . Something 19:11.400 --> 19:13.920 tangible , something lasting . 19:15.140 --> 19:17.660 Your workmanship is and should be 19:17.660 --> 19:19.739 celebrated . There is an inherent 19:19.739 --> 19:22.939 dignity involved in craft crafting 19:22.939 --> 19:26.040 useful , powerful , and lethal things . 19:27.760 --> 19:30.000 I mean , there's a reason Jesus was a 19:30.000 --> 19:32.167 carpenter , not a politician , right ? 19:33.540 --> 19:35.484 There's something about building . 19:36.050 --> 19:38.161 Something about building in America . 19:38.161 --> 19:40.609 We build better , stronger , more 19:40.609 --> 19:43.530 capable , and we will build more and 19:43.530 --> 19:45.641 faster because we've done it before . 19:46.130 --> 19:48.250 And we're going to do it again And 19:48.250 --> 19:50.472 that's why this administration and this 19:50.472 --> 19:53.390 department is fighting for you . Your 19:53.390 --> 19:55.589 way of life and the renaissance of 19:55.589 --> 19:58.670 manufacturing in this country , we're 19:58.670 --> 20:00.949 holding your leadership accountable . 20:01.819 --> 20:04.540 We're holding your leadership feet to 20:04.540 --> 20:08.130 the fire . Their jobs are on the line . 20:08.890 --> 20:11.459 To ensure that you can deliver what 20:11.459 --> 20:13.681 America needs , that your craftsmanship 20:13.681 --> 20:15.848 is unleashed , that you are taken care 20:15.848 --> 20:18.015 of , that you are paid properly , that 20:18.015 --> 20:20.689 your work is done safely . That we can 20:20.689 --> 20:23.939 move at speed and at scale . Because 20:23.939 --> 20:26.849 when our workers succeed , Our country 20:27.000 --> 20:29.290 succeeds , and a nation that builds is 20:29.290 --> 20:31.457 a nation that wins , and our president 20:31.689 --> 20:34.250 is a builder . And that's why we will 20:34.250 --> 20:36.910 win . So to all of you here today , 20:37.030 --> 20:39.197 from the newest apprentice to the most 20:39.197 --> 20:41.589 experienced master shipbuilder , and to 20:41.589 --> 20:44.790 our sailors who work with them . Again , 20:44.880 --> 20:48.540 back to where I started . Thank you . I 20:48.540 --> 20:50.596 want you to know that whether you're 20:50.596 --> 20:52.651 wearing a uniform , coveralls , or a 20:52.651 --> 20:54.429 suit , the work you're doing is 20:54.429 --> 20:56.151 important , it's patriotic and 20:56.151 --> 20:58.489 essential to our nation . It is a noble 20:58.489 --> 21:02.069 calling In a world that has forgotten 21:02.729 --> 21:06.109 what nobility looks like . You know , I 21:06.109 --> 21:09.130 used some words when I spoke after the 21:09.130 --> 21:11.189 raid a couple of days ago that feel 21:11.189 --> 21:13.890 outdated to some , but they fit perfect 21:14.430 --> 21:18.410 for our warfighters . Guts , grit , 21:18.910 --> 21:22.579 gallantry , and glory . May we revive 21:22.579 --> 21:25.420 those words . May we live them out , no 21:25.420 --> 21:27.476 matter how small the task or how big 21:27.476 --> 21:29.689 the task . Simple or mundane the task 21:29.689 --> 21:32.390 or complex the task . Every aspect of 21:32.390 --> 21:34.557 what had to come together to make that 21:34.557 --> 21:36.779 mission successful was an ingredient to 21:36.779 --> 21:40.099 the kind of guts , grit , gallantry and 21:40.099 --> 21:42.939 glory that our warriors embody . And 21:42.939 --> 21:45.910 you contribute to that . Be proud of 21:45.910 --> 21:47.900 what you do here . Be proud of the 21:47.900 --> 21:49.956 incredible vessels that you bring to 21:49.956 --> 21:51.844 life . They are the guarantees of 21:51.844 --> 21:54.650 freedom . The guardians of our peace , 21:55.020 --> 21:57.187 a message to the entire world that you 21:57.187 --> 22:00.780 should never ever bet against America . 22:01.630 --> 22:04.010 And know that we have your back . 22:06.040 --> 22:09.599 As you move faster , on time and on 22:09.599 --> 22:11.710 budget , investing in your plants and 22:11.710 --> 22:14.229 in your people . We have a lot left to 22:14.229 --> 22:16.562 accomplish on behalf of the warfighters , 22:16.562 --> 22:18.785 and we look forward to continuing to do 22:18.785 --> 22:21.459 it . It's the honor of a lifetime . 22:23.140 --> 22:26.459 I serve to serve . My job is to make 22:26.459 --> 22:29.020 your job easier . That's why our ears 22:29.020 --> 22:31.242 to the ground , everywhere we go , what 22:31.242 --> 22:33.298 can we do to make you more useful in 22:33.298 --> 22:35.780 how you operate . Because together we 22:35.780 --> 22:38.339 will rebuild our military . We will 22:38.339 --> 22:41.109 restore our industrial might . And 22:41.109 --> 22:44.369 secure peace for generations to come . 22:44.829 --> 22:48.310 We will build the arsenal of freedom . 22:49.250 --> 22:51.306 God bless you , God bless our navy , 22:51.306 --> 22:53.250 and God bless our great republic . 22:53.250 --> 22:55.361 Thank you very much . Appreciate it . 22:55.361 --> 22:55.660 Thank you .