NORFOLK, Va. — During the Navy 250 celebration Sunday that resembled a campaign rally, President Donald Trump was given an hour-long show of the Navy’s warfighting capabilities.

The president, First Lady Melania Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded the USS George H. W. Bush to conduct a “presidential review” of naval assets that included the USS Iowa submarine, seven destroyers and several aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 1.

After the display, they landed on the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman before speaking to about 10,000 sailors in their whites and other invited guests and veterans.

In his remarks, Trump said, “Let’s face it, this is a rally.” He celebrated the latest strike on a Venezuelan boat that he said was carrying drugs.

“In recent weeks the Navy has supported our mission to blow the cartel terrorists the hell out of the water,” he said at Naval Station Norfolk. “We did another one last night. Now we just can’t find any (boats) … we’re so good at it that there are no boats. In fact, even fishing boats nobody wants to go into the water anymore, so I can tell you that. We’re stopping drugs coming into America.”

The group of ships off of Venezuela’s coast is made up primarily of ships based out of Norfolk, including an amphibious ready group led by USS Iwo Jima.

He called the missions “a tough thing we’re doing,” and speaking to the sailors in the audience, acknowledged that, “We don’t want to send you into battle unless it’s necessary.”

“There are many, many missions that we are operating and executing on very well, including choking off cartel cash flows,” Secretary of Navy John Phelan said.

“Today we launch the next 250 years of supreme U.S. Naval power and of American liberty, dynamism, leadership and pride,” said Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley.

In the moments before speakers, who included the Chief of Protocol, Secretary of the Navy, Secretary of Defense and First Lady, began descending from the USS Harry S. Truman onto a stage on the pier, the Top Gun theme song blared over the loudspeakers. Other song choices included “God Bless America,” and shortly before the First Lady walked onto the stage, “Dixie,” a Confederate anthem written in the 1850s.

Trump’s speech, which was delivered on a stage at Pier 14 between the Truman and USS Kearsarge, oscillated between Navy history and partisan politics, and received mixed reactions from the crowd of sailors.

“Every tyrant and adversary on the planet knows their choice is very simple: It’s leave America in peace or be blown up in fire and fury never seen before,” Trump said. “While Navy pilots rain down pain from above, the greatest adversaries fear the daring deeds of our silent service below.”

Defense secretary Pete Hegseth said upholding Trump’s “peace through strength” mantra means more sailors, more submarines, more ships, and more munitions. He reiterated Trump’s desire to refer to the Department of Defense as the Department of War and doubled down on remarks last week about rejecting what he described as “woke” culture.

“Your diversity is not your strength,” he said. “Your strength is your unity of purpose, your shared mission, your shared love of country.”

Trump also asserted that the U.S. military has a waiting list of people hoping to join the armed forces.

“We have a waiting list for every branch of government now, and that includes police, police and firemen,” he said. “Nobody wanted to be a policeman. Now, they want to be policemen. Now they want to be in the Navy, they want to be in the Air Force so badly, the Marines, the Army — they want to be in all of it.

“They love Space Force, I love Space Force because I created Space Force, that was my thing.”

Earlier in the day, the crowd watched a live feed as Trump and Hegseth conducted the “presidential review” of naval assets from aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush. The demonstration also showcased rounds of live fire from surface vessels, a simulated dogfight and the catapult and recovery of aircraft from the carrier.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said the president and First Lady “got to see firsthand what the Navy can do…and that was really just the tip of the iceberg of what we do every day.”

Caudle, formerly the commander of the United States Fleet Forces Command, spoke to The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press about the importance of Norfolk to the Navy’s past, present and future.

“This is, as everyone has said today, the largest and most dynamic and complex naval enterprise campus in the world. And I don’t see that changing,” Caudle said. “This is a center of gravity for the United States Navy and it will be for any foreseeable future.”

Planning for the 250th anniversary events nationwide has been about a year in the making. In total, about 8,000 sailors were involved in Sunday’s sea power demonstration.

A White House organizer for the event could not provide an estimate of the cost of today’s events. The funds used are part of the Navy’s existing budget for FY 2026 and will be taken from the preparation and training budget.

No active duty Navy members spoke at today’s event, except the narrator for the sea power demonstration, Lt. Daniel Burns, an instructor pilot assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 125. While Sunday’s show went on without disruption despite the government shutdown, other Navy 250 events scheduled this month in Philadelphia may be at risk of delay or cancellation.

USS Wasp Petty Officers 3rd Class Jimena Gudino Rosas and Angela Sullivan said they were excited to be there.

“It’s exciting to see everyone here enjoying and smiling,” said Gudino Rosas, an aviation electrician.

Sullivan, an aviation electronic technician on the Wasp, said Sunday was a sentimental day for her. Her great-grandfather was in the Navy and she wishes he had been around to see Sunday’s celebration. She said the event feels like a “congratulations to everyone” (here) and celebration of them.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Thadeus M. Williams said he attended the event because the Navy has done much for his family.

“(Navy) 250 is about the last 250 years serving and protecting and of responsible naval power,” he said. “There’s a lot of pride on those ships.”

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