Trump says proposed giant battleships would be "some of the most lethal surface warfare ships"

President Donald Trump has been promoting construction of a proposed fleet of giant battleships, claiming they would be exceptionally powerful, after the Congressional Budget Office estimated the program could cost about $275 billion. The nonpartisan agency, at the request of Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, priced the first vessel, USS Defiant, at around $23.4 billion and projected 15 ships total, nearly double the Navy’s earlier figure. Analysts and military experts have called battleships outdated, vulnerable to modern attacks, and dependent on weapons still undeveloped. The CBO also cautioned that American shipyards may not handle the buildup. Merkley argued Congress should not fund what he described as a costly military-industrial project while families struggle with living expenses. Some experts predicted the program would be canceled by a later administration.