President Donald Trump went off on a confused tangent about robots and artificial intelligence while unveiling plans for a new Navy warship class bearing his name.
The 79-year-old commander-in-chief announced from his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday that the Navy would build a new “Trump-class” battleship.
Asked by a reporter how he was going to ensure enough “workforce availability” for the production of the ships, Trump launched into a word salad about using “robotic factories plus manpower.”
“We’re going to need the help of robots and other forms of, uhhh, I guess you could say employment,” he said, shrugging. “We’re going to be employing a lot of artificial things.”
Flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the elderly president rambled, “We’re going to have a lot of robots helping us because we need it and because we’re going to town. We’re building a lot between the AI and the auto plants.”
“So, we’re going to need robots. We’re going to have robots, but that’s going to help us. We’re going to have tremendous workforce, and in order to operate the—You’re always going to need people,” said Trump, whose circuitous rants have prompted concerns about his cognitive health.
The U.S. shipbuilding industry consistently struggles with workforce shortages, supply chain issues, and capacity limitations. But Trump appeared to interpret the reporter’s question as applying to the nation broadly.
In an apparent attempt to reassure Americans that robots and AI would not replace their jobs, Trump argued, “You know, you could have robots, but you’re going to have to get somebody to start those robots, and you’re going to have to improve the robots. But we’re going to have robotic factories plus manpower.”
He then claimed, “The beauty is we’re going to have more jobs than we’ve ever had.”
While it’s unclear whether Trump was referring to his shipbuilding plan or the nation more broadly, last week’s jobs report showed the labor market weakening—as it has throughout the year—and unemployment rising to 4.6 percent, its highest level since 2021.
The president has gone all-in on AI, signing an executive order earlier this month that limits states’ authority over the technology’s regulation, despite worries about its energy use and how it could upheave the job market.
According to Goldman Sachs, AI adoption could cost 6 to 7 percent of U.S. workers their jobs.
The new line of battleships adds to the long list of government projects, laws, and institutions Trump has slapped his name on.
He said that he will have a direct role in designing the new warships. “The U.S. Navy will lead the design of these ships along with me, because I’m a very aesthetic person,” Trump said.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
