Trump Addresses American Troops Aboard USS George Washington in Japan

President Donald Trump spoke to a crowd of thousands of American troops aboard aircraft carrier USS George Washington at the Yokosuka naval base in Japan on Oct. 28.

Service members chanted “Trump” and “U.S.A.” as the president took the stage wearing a white baseball cap with red U.S.A. lettering while Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” blared over the loudspeakers.

“Patriotism in your heart is our single greatest weapon,” Trump told the troops.

“America’s strength is roaring back like never before.”

The crowd erupted in applause when he said pay raises for all military members are on the table, awaiting congressional approval.

After years of dwindling enrollment numbers across the military, Trump said enlistment is so strong that waiting lists have been established to manage the demand.

The president praised the sailors for their commitment to protecting the nation.

“I always wanted to be an admiral,” he said, commending the military branch.

“The Navy is a special group of people.”

He consulted the crowd about their choice of power source for catapults on the carrier and mechanics for operating aircraft elevators.

After hearing unanimous support for steam over electric for catapults and hydraulics over magnets for elevators, Trump said he was placing orders based on their assessments.

The president emphasized the country’s shipbuilding initiative, saying the progress planned is but one of the upgrades in store for the nation.

“I’m fighting every single day to give you our very best,” Trump said.

“We’re bringing it to a standard that no one has ever seen before.”

He made the remarks aboard the nearly 1,100-foot-long aircraft carrier, with a surface area of approximately 4.5 acres and enough space to accommodate a crew of more than 6,000 people.

Trump brought the newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to the podium to highlight their new friendship. Takaichi also gifted Trump a golf putter that belonged to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe was assassinated in 2022.

“The cherished alliance between the United States and Japan is one of the most remarkable relationships in the entire world,” Trump said.

“Born out of the ashes of a terrible war, our bond has grown over eight decades into the beautiful friendship that we have. It’s a foundation of peace and security in the Pacific.”

He noted that their meeting earlier in the day precipitated record highs in the Japanese and U.S. equity markets.

The two signed agreements to implement a “New Golden Age” and secure rare earth metals and critical minerals.

Trump also announced that the first batch of missiles sold to Japan for the nation’s self-defense would be arriving earlier than scheduled.

Takaichi smiled broadly as she approached the podium and thanked Trump for his dedication to peacekeeping efforts.

“Peace cannot be preserved by words alone,” she said. “It can be protected only when there is an unwavering determination and action.”

She vowed to make the Indo-Pacific region a model of freedom and sovereignty for the rest of the world.

“Japan is committed to fundamentally reinforce its defense capabilities, and Japan is ready to contribute even more proactively in peace and stability in the region,” Takaichi said, echoing Trump’s comments about the importance of a strong bilateral relationship.

“Japan and the United States will advance together, with our sails raised high, across a free and open sea.”

After the ceremony concluded, the president boarded Marine One for a short flight back to Tokyo, where he was expected to meet with Japanese business leaders for dinner.

Trump will next head to South Korea for the third and final leg of his Asian tour. Bilateral discussions are planned with leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference.

A meeting with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping is the final agenda item, barring a last-minute change of plans to accommodate a potential meeting with North Korea’s leader that Trump has repeatedly floated while touring the continent.

“If he wants to meet, I’d love to meet him,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Asia.