Formed President Donald Trump touted one of his administration’s biggest wins for the United States Navy. Today’s other dynamic duo—they also destroyed another vessel illegally trafficking drugs off the coast of Venezuela. He made this announcement during a speech at Naval Station Norfolk, VA. While there, he joined the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary as part of the strike force with the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier.
In his speech, Trump implicitly recognized the need for military action against drug trafficking organizations. He stated, “to blow the cartel terrorists the hell out of the water. There are no boats in the water anymore. You can’t find them.” This statement was a reminder of his administration’s focus on fighting drug smuggling at sea, which he called an “arc of conflict.”
It was Trump who went into detail on what comes next. He acknowledged that should drug smugglers shift their tactics from the ocean to the land that the U.S. would be quick to adapt. He asserted, “we’ll have to start looking about the land because they’ll be forced to go by land. Let me tell you that’s not going to work out well for them either.” His remarks illustrate a broad, multi-faceted approach to combatting drug trafficking with an emphasis on adaptability and non-traditional tactics.
Trump didn’t just talk tough on drug lords, he pledged to increase the Navy’s shipbuilding capacity. During his testimony, he stressed that a strong naval presence is a fundamental bedrock for our national security. To this end, he chastised Democrats for supposedly allowing a government shutdown that he said canceled military parades and retinues. He stated that they were attempting “to destroy this wonderful celebration of the US Navy’s Birthday,” which he deemed a vital event for the nation.
This is the picture that the former president painted during his time in office. He suggested that the U.S. metropolitan areas could serve as practice fields for the military. He highlighted the need for military might to confront what he termed an “invasion from within,” suggesting that domestic challenges require a robust defense strategy.
Over a thousand active-duty servicemembers and their families filled the auditorium for the ceremony. They all joined together to pay tribute to the Navy’s long and illustrious history. Trump sure did, too because he couldn’t wait for this very special day. He noted that it acts as a sobering tribute to sacrifices of our service members.
“The only mission of the newly restored Department of War is this: warfighting, preparing for war and preparing to win, unrelenting and uncompromising in that pursuit not because we want war, no one here wants war, but it’s because we love peace.” – Pete Hegseth
More recently, the importance of driving the international consensus on drug enforcement was underscored by these comments from President Trump. The United Nations has previously underscored that “international law does not allow governments to simply murder alleged drug traffickers” and emphasized that “criminal activities should be disrupted, investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the rule of law, including through international cooperation.”