What’s with Trump’s war against the US Navy?

# Why This Matters The Trump administration's pushback against Navy modernization represents a fundamental challenge to American naval dominance in an era of intensifying great-power competition. By insisting on outdated steam catapult systems over modern electromagnetic launch technology, the administration risks deploying carriers with reduced operational efficiency precisely when China is rapidly expanding its naval capabilities and asserting control over critical shipping lanes. The simultaneous territorial claims over the Strait of Hormuz—through which roughly one-third of global seaborne oil passes—directly contradict established international law and could provoke confrontation with regional allies and trading partners who depend on freedom of navigation through these waters. These decisions would weaken America's ability to project power, maintain technological superiority, and guarantee the stability of global trade routes that undergird the international economic system.