David Jackson, and Gregory Korte

USA TODAY

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — President Trump visited a new aircraft carrier in eastern Virginia on Thursday, promoting his plan to embark on what he called "a great rebuilding of our military might."

Trump addressed sailors aboard the soon-to-be-commissioned USS Gerald Ford, which Trump described as "4.5 acres of combat power and sovereign U.S. territory, the likes of which there is nothing to compete."

"It is a monument to American might that will provide the strength necessary to ensure peace," he said in a speech replete with militaristic imagery and wearing a hat and jacket emblazoned with the carrier's name. "Hopefully, it's power we don't have to use. But if we do, they're in big, big trouble."

The visit highlights a theme of his address to Congress on Tuesday, in which he proposed "one of the largest increases in national defense spending in American history." Trump is proposing a $54 billion increase in defense spending next year, to be paid for with corresponding cuts to domestic programs.

Presidents often hit the road following a major speech to Congress, and Trump's speech hewed tightly to prepared remarks. He remained focused on defense issues even as questions swirled around Attorney General Jeff Sessions's contacts with the Russian ambassador during the campaign. During a tour of the carrier, he told reporters he had "total" confidence in Sessions.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, named after the nation's 38th president, is expected to be commissioned later this year after a series of cost overruns and delays that added up to $12.9 billion. It's set to be the prototype for a new class of Ford-class "supercarriers" that will eventually replace today's Nimitz-class carriers. The U.S. Navy now has 10 carriers. Trump promised a 12-carrier Navy Thursday, even as older carriers are decommissioned.

Trump said his plan for a long-term defense buildup would eliminate uncertainty and therefore save money. "The same boat for less money," he said. "Got to get a good deal. If we don’t make a good deal, we’re not doing our job."

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