Politico reports Trump's demands peaked this month, risking further weakening of
a US Navy already under fiscal and logistical strain. USS Abraham Lincoln has
been continuously deployed for a record nine months, and sailors' families warn
crew are near exhaustion. A government report says Trump's proposed "golden
fleet" of new battleships would cost tens of billions of dollars more than
expected. Experts say orders to reintroduce outdated technology could disrupt
shipbuilding production schedules. These pressures are compounding long‑standing
Navy problems — schedule delays, cost overruns and a shrinking fleet — and could
impair its ability to defend US interests, a US official said.
