President Trump said many of the latest technologies on naval ships is “change for the sake of changing” and he’s going back to hydraulics and steam — and the audience of sailors appeared to agree. “I’m going to put in an order. Seriously. They’re spending billions to build stupid electric. And when it breaks, you have to send it up to MIT,” Trump said to sailors aboard the USS George Washington in Japan. “The steam – they can fix it with a hammer and a blowtorch.” “Every excavator, every excavating machine of any kind has hydraulic. But somebody decided to use magnets,” Trump said. “And I love the sight of that beautiful steam pouring off that deck. With the electric, you don’t have that.”

DONALD TRUMP: We also have a real genius who’s- these people are incredible -who maintain the largest and most complex machine ever built. They are amazing mechanics and engineers – incredible people. And I asked the captain – you know, I’m building aircraft, I’m building a lot of things – but I said, Captain, you’ve got to tell me something. I know a lot about these ships, I know a lot about these things we’re building. I want to know: catapults – which is better, the electric or the steam? Okay, ready? Are you guys- that’s what you do, right? This is so much better. You know, they go out and hire a consultant for millions of dollars who was never on an aircraft carrier before. So they switched to electric. I disagree with it – but that’s all right. Let me ask you: we’re going to go steam first, and then electric catapults. Which is better – electric or steam? I’m going to put in an order. Seriously. They’re spending billions of dollars to build stupid electric. And the problem is, when it breaks, you have to send up to MIT, get the most brilliant people in the world, fly them out – it’s ridiculous. The steam – they said they can fix it with a hammer and a blowtorch, and it works just as well, if not better. And I love the sight of that beautiful steam pouring off that deck. With the electric, you don’t have that. So, you know, we did the Ford – the electric – the cost overruns, everything else. But I hope it’s going to be okay. I like steam. We’re going to go back to steam. They changed this for the sake of changing. I said to the architect, Have you ever designed a ship before? You know – he only did the biggest ship in the world, right? The Ford. But we’re going to go back. Okay, now let me ask you the second question: hydraulic for your elevators or magnets? You know, the new thing is magnets. So instead of using hydraulic – that you can be hit by lightning and it’s fine – you take a little glass of water and drop it on magnets, I don’t know what’s going to happen. So, you know, the elevators come up in the new carriers – I think I’m going to change it. By the way, they have magnets. Not every tractor has hydraulic – every excavator, every excavating machine of any kind has hydraulic. But somebody decided to use magnets – maybe they’re good. Which is better – hydraulic or magnets? What the hell is wrong with these people? Can I ask you, the top-ranking gentleman right here – seriously – I’m putting out an order. I’m going to sign an executive order. When we build aircraft carriers, it’s steam for the catapults, and it’s hydraulic for the elevators. We’ll never have a problem, okay? Do you agree? He agrees. Everybody agrees. But all these people in Washington- all right, we’re going to do that. I’m serious about it. It bothered me so much. I’d see the costs come in – they spent nine hundred- this is not on my watch, because if it was on my watch, I’d be very quiet about it. I wouldn’t be talking about it. They spent $ 993 million on the catapults trying to get them to work. And they had steam, which worked so beautifully – and it has for fifty years. Right? So we’re going to go back. Seriously, fellas, I want to make that change. I’m going to do an executive order. I’m not going to let them continue to do this stuff. They’re trying to make it work – they’re trying so hard, and they have…

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